Duality: Flowers in the Mansion
by voice of morgoth
Summary: One of my last 2 Gravity Falls stories. A sequel to Duality, in which our twins attempt to build a new life for themselves away from their parents. Pinecest Warning
1. Prologue

Dipper paces back and forth through the halls of Northwest Manor. The rain pours and thunder echoes loudly above, shaking the mansion to its foundations. But he barely even hears the rumbling. Mabel is in the hospital.

"Damn nurse… but she needs rest… of course she does. Doesn't mean I shouldn't be there… you're paranoid… we're both paranoid, you schizoid doofus… heh."

Dipper makes his way into the master bedroom. He glances at himself in the mirror and smirks. Dipper wears a black and white striped shirt with cuffs. He wears a black coat over the white shirt. He looks into his right eye in the mirror, the other hidden by an eye patch. An azure glow emits from his revealed eye, a subtle off-color tint due to the amulet he created. He looks at the amulet, placed in the center of a ring on his finger. He touches the gem, feeling a surge of power course through it and into his body.

"Absurd, all these fancy clothes… yes, but it helps maintain our cover… still annoying. Looking like some pompous rich ass… your fault for taking the Northwest's name… no, that was your idea."

He unbuttons the cuffs and the top button, finding the tightness irritating. He begins to undress. He removes the black coat first, neatly folding it up and setting it by the bed. He unbuttons his shirt, sliding it off to reveal Lichtenberg marks covering the left portion of his body. The markings are bright red and branch out in increasingly detailed patterns, almost like a crimson tattoo. He rips off the eye patch and faces the reminder of his demonic other, his second personality. His left eye is a daunting yellow iris with a black slit. The piercing eye of Dipper's demonic essence, given form and power by the jewel on his ring. He remembers when he made the jewels. The one he uses and the one Mabel wears in a brooch.

He had spent long hours in the vaults beneath the Northwest mansion. He worked tirelessly to recreate the amulet Gideon once wore, obsessed with the potential it had to aid the twins. At the end of his long labor, he had two powerless gems in pitch blackness. He covered them in dark cloth, save for a small exposed tip. And he flashed a light on each. The sliver of energy empowered the jewels. They both began to glow brightly before their gleam dimmed, showing that Dipper finally succeeded. The weapons he created were more powerful than their predecessor. The jewels could not be easily broken, not even by a bullet or being smashed with a hammer. And the gems gave the twins far more control over the mind. But it had a cost. Their eyes no longer appeared brown. Their thoughts mingled and distorted together. If they wear their gems for too long, they begin to lose track of who is who.

Dipper groans, still too restless, too aware. His mind is unsettled. And the only way to settle his demonic other's thoughts is to relive the moments of sheer, insane joy. Dipper enters the walk-in closet, moving down the rows of suits and dresses to find two chests. He opens the two chests. In his treasured collection, he finds knives, guns, hammers, and other tools he has used to kill. They are memories and trophies of his deeds. But now he wishes to relive his sister's kills, the times she was forced into action.

"She still thinks its gross and morbid… funny. She's funny, isn't she?... Yes."

Dipper's two minds focus on the weapons stored. He takes the chest out of the closet and sets it on the bed. He opens it, taking out each weapon. Her collection is small, but each kill has a deep meaning. Each one is a piece of a great change, one that brought them to their current point. Their lives as the masters of the Northwest name and fortune. Dipper looks over the first weapon she used. Their friend had discovered Dipper's demonic other. He had aimed a gun at Dipper, prepared to kill who he believed to be an unrepentant demon. So Mabel shot their friend first.

"Gary. Idiot wouldn't let us go… yes. Not too bright, was he?... still, he was our friend… no friend worth a damn tries to kill us."

Next Dipper slides out a shard of glass. A weapon used during their first year back in Gravity Falls.

"That's when she showed me how far she's willing to go… yes. She was so beautiful that day."

Dipper thinks back on those days. They had fled their home after being discovered by their parents. Now, with no other place to go, they had returned to the Mystery Shack, now owned by Soos, as Stan was too withered with age to continue. But their help wasn't enough to help Soos and Melody, now his wife. The money was running low and they were draining resources fast. So Dipper cornered Mabel one night in the attic where they slept. He presented his idea for a money making scheme.

"So, sis… how about… magic!"

"Really?... that's your big 'money maker'?"

"Yes, I know it's not the best idea, but it might work for now. In the meantime, I'll look for cheap college books. I may not get a degree, but at least it's something to work on."

"And I'll work on my art."

Dipper began with simple card tricks. And with the aid of his book of spells, he learned to influence people into parting with their hard earned cash. He became a sly and devious trickster, no longer using his book of spells to simply murder. But soon the twins' magic had drawn the attention of those who knew about the other world. Most simply discussed their knowledge of magic with the twins, allowing Dipper and Mabel to set up a network of supernatural allies to trade supplies with. However, two of those who discovered the twins had come with ill intent. Dipper noticed them walking down the street of Gravity Falls one day. Their skin was cracked and sickly, while they glared with a heavy menace in their eyes. He recognized the sign of the magic amulets, the green eyes that glowed unnaturally in the shade. They were the descendants of the warlock who Dipper murdered the summer after Bill Cipher was destroyed. Now, they had come to reclaim their father's treasure, his book of spells. Later that night, the twins were in the bedroom. Mabel was already asleep. Dipper watched over her, waiting long into the night. He never stayed asleep for long in Gravity Falls, knowing that it still attracted the supernatural, but now he would remain awake all night if he had to, knowing the two warlocks may come for him and his sister. The window slid open. Dipper turned around, meeting the eyes of the two warlocks. Looking closer, he realized that they were twins. One female, the other male. Dipper couldn't help but smirk at the coincidence. Then he launched himself at them. The female of the pair used her power to throw Dipper out the window of the attic. He smashed against the cold ground with broken arms and a cracked knee. The female of the pair flew out the window, descending to meet the broken body. She dragged him into the woods.

"My brother is going to have fun with your sister. I may as well entertain myself too."

She threw Dipper against a rock.

"So you're the boy who killed my father. I would say I was here to avenge him… but, I never was one for family. Truth be told, we simply need his book of spells… but perhaps I'll let you live as my pet."

The witch moved in close, attempting to gain a reaction from Dipper by unbuckling his jeans and sliding out his member. Dipper looked closer at her finger, seeing a silver ring. A familiar green gem sat within, revealing the source of her power. Dipper grabbed her finger and bit it off. She screamed in agony as Dipper kicked her away. He spat the finger out and took the gem, standing and limping forward with a twisted grin.

"You. That's not possible!"

"It is… my arms are broken. My legs are snapped. I'm bleeding out… but my body… cannot… die!"

Dipper lunged at her, forgoing the use of magic in favor of a closer, more intimate kill. He suffocated the life from her as he pressed his ear to her chest, listening to the sound of her heart stopping as the life was wrung from her body. Dipper stumbled back to the Mystery Shack, ignoring the burning sensation of his cracked bones. He expected to find a bloodbath. To find Mabel dead or dying and unable to be saved. As he walked up the stairs from the outside, he instead found his sister, standing over the remains of the warlock as he bled out onto the floor. She had a shard of glass in her hand. She was breathing heavily, almost snarling at the corpse. And then she turned to Dipper. Her eyes were blank. He couldn't see his sister in those eyes. He couldn't see her innocence and love, only the person who killed to defend everything she held dear. Suddenly she dropped the shard of glass and ran over to Dipper.

"Yes… that was when we knew… something had changed in her as well. She had a second self… just like us."

Dipper places the shard of glass back in its chest. He next retrieves a knife.

"Yes… this was a wonderful use… it's when I received my scars… beautiful scars…"

Dipper presses the cold blade against his shoulder, remembering how he came to be scarred all over his left side by lightning.

It began during Christmas a year after they had returned to Gravity Falls Dipper made a present for Mabel. A special gift, one he hoped would ease the pain of them running away. He had searched for demons that would offer him power and value, but ones who wouldn't resort to trickery and betrayal. He found one he believed to be reliable. The demon Elphorgul, a creature entirely of electricity, was written about in Dipper's book of spells. Late at night in the bunker beneath the Mystery Shack, Dipper used black paint that conducts electricity to paint the summoning circle. Then he placed a metal cage around the archaic symbols. The words were invoked, the dark gate was opened, and the demon appeared, electricity crackling in the center of the circle.

"Elphorgul, the Light Weaver." Dipper said, admiring the bolts of electricity jutting all around the metallic area. The demon drew forth its power, appearing within the circle as a chaotic stream of lightning.

"I have not been summoned by you before."

"No, but I have a simple task that requires your special talents."

"And what will you offer me in exchange?"

Dipper presented several items for the entity. A phoenix feather, a scale from a merman, and a rodent in a cage. Dipper placed the phoenix feather and the scale in the cage with the rat. He set the cage delicately above the larger cage that contained the demon. Dipper retrieved a cell phone. He used a plastic, insulated pole to push the cell phone into the cage with the demon.

"What do you require of me, mortal?"

"I need to make a simple phone call. But I can't let anyone know where it's coming from… truth is, I need to call my parents. Our… my sister and I… we share a love that is frowned upon by these silly humans… we had to run. It's been several months since we've seen our family… and this is a gift to my sister. But the police, the court, the judges. They'd know where we were calling from. That's where you come in. You can make this phone appear to call from anywhere and everywhere on the planet."

"I have not been summoned for this task before. Very well."

Dipper opened the rat's cage allowing the sacrifices to be given. The items burned and sparked with electricity. With the energy taken from Dipper's sacrifice, the demon used its power and knowledge of the demonic gates to make the phone untraceable. Dipper used the pole to retrieve the phone.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Hello, could you tell me exactly where I am? Just look at your silly map thing."

"I… this is for emergencies, sir."

"See, I'm kind of lost in the woods and don't know where this phone is. Just tell me."

"I… weird… I can't see you… no wait, you're near Calif… no, your… what the fuck?"

"Rude. I don't like swearing. I'm hanging up."

Dipper turned the phone off and giggled. The demon returned to the dark gate, amused at being summoned for such a simple task. Dipper wrapped the phone in a gift box and placed it under the tree in the living room. On Christmas day, he gave the present to his sister. She unwrapped it greedily, anticipating the surprise her brother made her. Then she stared curiously at the seemingly ordinary phone.

"Is this a magic phone?"

"Kind of. Its… its untraceable. No one can ever find out where the call is coming from… it's for, well, calling our parents."

Mabel went silent. And then she cried, dragging her brother into a hug. She cried into his shoulder as he held her. She moved away and looked up into his eyes, a bittersweet smile plastered on her face.

"I… what do we say?"

"Everything… everything we couldn't say before."

The twins took the phone up into the attic. They turned the volume up and set it on the ground. Mabel dialed the number to their parents. It seemed hours passed before they heard an answer.

"Hello?" the twins' mother said. Her voice was hoarse and tired. They hadn't spoken in more than a year. Mabel said nothing, not knowing if they were simply bringing more pain to their parents. She reached a hand for the phone to turn it off, but then set her hand back down, deciding to press forward with the conversation.

"Hello?"

"I… hey." Mabel responded. She received silence from the other end. Then their mother's voice was heard, breaking and wavering on the edge of tears.

"Ma… Mabel?"

"Uh… yeah…"

"…"

No words came from the other end, the only sound being the shuddering agony of the twins' mother.

"Uh… what's… new?" Mabel muttered.

"I… Mabel… come home."

"I… I can't… not… did you tell anyone?"

"I… no. No one knows."

"… I heard from the news in Piedmont… says two random teens vanished… police were looking into it."

"I… Mabel."

"Would me and Dipper be safe?"

"I… we'll help you… we'll get you what you need."

"… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called… I… I need to go."

"Wait!"

"I… you called the police… they'd throw me or Dip in jail… they'd… they'd treat him like filth… like I didn't know what I was doing… I'm…"

Mabel was on the verge of shattering.

Thinking back on that night, Dipper feels the sting in his chest still. It was the night when they realized they could never return to their old lives. The words spoken by his parents cemented that fact.

"Mabel… you have to come back… it's… it's wrong."

"I… goodbye Mom."

Mabel threw the phone away. It sparked slightly. Then the spark grew in power until Elphorgul revealed itself. The demon, believing the twins to be weak and defenseless, attempted to claim them after the deal was done and the phone was not needed. A bolt of lightning struck Dipper. Then the demonic creature attempted to possess him. But it found that Dipper was not simply a weak human boy. The lightning grew in power and strength as Mabel cried for help. But Dipper's dark mind fought against everything. Dipper held the demon within as the lightning scarred and seared his flesh. He hurried down the stairs to the kitchen and fetched the knife. Then he ran to the abandoned bunker where the summoning circle was made.

"Sister… I need you… to take a knife… cut the arm. Cut the arm."

"Brother, no!"

"If it takes control… then we both die."

Mabel took the knife. Dipper began to reverse the spell used to summon Elphorgul. He focused the lightning in his body into a single point on his thumb. He retrieved a jar from the storeroom in the bunker and coated the inside with the conductive paint. He placed his hand in the jar. Mabel, using the knife, cut her brother's body. The blood leaked down into the jar. Dipper focused his mind on banishing the demon. He pushed it out of his body through the blood. With the demon torn out, Dipper sealed the lid. They buried the demon in the forests, preventing it from ever harming them again.

"Nearly died that night… yes, we did. No thanks to you… you're the one who let me make that present… strange…"

Dipper looks over the scars left by the demon. He thinks of them almost like a work of art, a complicated scar for his complicated and broken mind. Dipper sets the knife back in its place before retrieving another blade. This time, Dipper frowns. Both sides of him are saddened by the memories that the knife brings.

"Yes… the blade that gave us Pacifica's fortune."

Dipper thinks back on the events that led to the twins claiming the Northwest inheritance. Dipper had finally created twin amulets for himself and his sister. And, with the gems' power, the twins' magic show had begun to take off, becoming the star attraction of tourists visiting the Mystery Shack. But the money coming in was still not enough to support both the Mystery Shack and Melody's shop on the other side of town, which she started to try and support her husband and young kid. Their great uncle Stan had long since passed, leaving Soos and Melody the owners of the Mystery Shack. As the days passed, Melody and Soos grew more and more curious as to why the twins' hadn't returned to their parents, nor even spoke to anyone from their old town.

Soon, fate would provide Melody the answer. It was a little less than two years since the twins came back to Gravity Falls. Melody and Soos were away at a lunch with their kids. Dipper held his sister in a loving embrace, listening to her hum quietly as they stared at the silent television. He kissed her on the neck, and that was all that was needed to light a fire in both their hearts. Dipper and Mabel threw their clothes off and leapt into Dipper's bed. Dipper all but growled as he began fucking Mabel. It was less an act of passion than it was primal instinct. A _need_ for his sister's warmth. And in that mad heat Melody had returned without him noticing. She quietly crept up the stairs to the attic where the twins had been staying. And she saw everything, watching the twins give in to their lust for each other. She saw the reason for Dipper and Mabel fleeing to the town. The reason for their secretive lives, for Stan's irritation at Soos and Melody asking too many questions. She knew then that Stan had helped the twins. That he had kept everything about them a secret. A secret she now uncovered. And several days later, Dipper and Mabel received pictures of their own act of lust, taken by Melody in an attempt at blackmailing the twins, along with a message.

 _I know what you are. Meet me at the Taste of Italy tomorrow at 5:00 P.M., or everyone will know._

The twins had no choice but to meet with Melody. But Dipper wasn't going to easily give in. As they entered the restaurant, the warm yet eerie red drapes covering the walls gave Dipper an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He knew how close the twins were to being discovered by the rest of the world. The twins found Melody and Soos waiting for them. Soos was looking away, not knowing how to fully react to knowing the truth, and Melody sternly glared at the twins.

"Melody, now what might this surprise be about?" Dipper asked with a sadistic smirk.

"You two…"

Melody shook with disgust. She seemed ready to vomit before she took a deep breath.

"You two ran away… because you are having sex."

Mabel's gaze had gone cold and blank while Dipper licked his teeth. The twins seemed to have reversed personalities, Dipper having becoming the giggly lunatic as Mabel glared with a stern, judgmental eye. Melody retrieved three pictures from her pocket, copies of the pictures she left with the twins.

"And you took those photos… why, do tell?" Dipper inquired.

"Proof. Proof of what you are."

"And I suppose… you want something in return for those photos."

Dipper leaned back with his hands folded on the table, entirely too calm for the situation the twins found themselves in.

"You and your uncle owe us. We've helped you keep your shack afloat for years while we've struggled to get by. Now you have to return the favor. My next kid is coming along and I'm slaving with barely any pay."

"Mel…" Soos started, trying to make his wife relent despite knowing what the twins are.

"Soos… this is for the best."

Soos swallowed, nodding his head while turning back to the twins.

"So, all those years of helping Stan… was a lie…" Mabel said.

"He treated us like garbage."

"He treated you like family." Mabel whispered, her rage barely contained beneath her cold shell.

"Our shop has gone to shit while we were trying to help him. Trying to keep his pointless tourist trap going."

"So now that we're starting to make a good buck, you want a piece of the action." replied Dipper.

"Five hundred bucks every month for the rest of our lives."

"Three hundred dollars every month. That's all we can afford."

"You think this is a game?"

"It is. It always was."

"Five hundred every month. That's what we're getting."

Dipper laughed slightly, taking a cigar and lighter out of his pocket. He put the cigar in his mouth, lighting it and inhaling a puff. The waiter, noticing Dipper's smoke building in the room, came over to scold him.

"I'm sorry sir, but we do not allow smoking in this establishment."

"Leave us." Dipper commanded. His amulet ensnared the waiter's body, forcing him to walk away. Dipper retrieved a silver coin from his pocket, tossing it in the air as he breathed through his nose, the smoke wreathing around his face, giving him the aura of a demon.

"Melody… you have proof of our love… you can call the police… you could tell our parents… you would have had us trapped and at your mercy… if not for one. tiny. error."

Dipper flipped the coin in the air again, the sound reverberating through the room with an irritating ring. The coin fell back into Dipper's open palm.

"You are operating under the belief that my sister and I still value your lives."

Melody shifted back in her seat, appearing unnerved by Dipper's threat as he retrieved the pictures from the table, using the cigar to burn them. He dipped them in his water glass before putting them in his pocket.

"Those weren't the only pictures." Melody claimed, trying to regain control of the situation.

"I know. That's why we're going to burn your house down later." Mabel whispered. Soos gasped as Dipper smiled on, eyeing the two before him. He flipped the coin in the air again.

"You gambled, Melody. Eventually all gamblers lose. Take this coin, for instance. Heads or tails. You flipped the coin when you decided to come after us. Heads, you get payments for the rest of your sweet, little lives. Tails, my sister and I decide to kill you while you sleep and burn all the evidence, leaving your kid homeless and parentless, unless we kill him too. But that's the thing about me. I don't leave things to chance."

Soos and Melody realized that the coin had been spinning in the air the entire time, twirling and ringing throughout the restaurant. Dipper grabbed the coin and smacked it on the table before moving his hand away.

"Would you look at that? Tails."

Dipper's head tilted back like a curious dog, looking towards Soos and Melody as he smiled psychotically. Soos and Melody dashed away from their seat and never looked back. Dipper put the cigar out on his open palm, wiping away the ash and using his amulet to repair his hand. Mabel motioned for the waiter when he returned, no longer under the effects of Dipper's spell.

"Could we get some mostacholi? And a small four-cheese pizza?"

In the present, Dipper can't help but feel relief that Soos and Melody never uploaded the pictures anywhere. His supernatural vileness was enough to scare them away from the town. Dipper then thinks back to the following insanity, the year when everything changed forever.

With Melody and Soos gone, the twins were alone. In their solitude, Dipper and Mabel grew closer together. Closer than they ever were before. They were tied together by an invisible chain of mutual desire that tightened every day, ready to do any horrifying act, including murder, to protect themselves from all threats, human or otherworldly.

Then Pacifica returned. She wanted to erase the corrupted legacy of her family and stayed at the Mystery Shack for the time being. No longer able to stay together, the twins were forced to keep separate rooms. And yet, with Pacifica back, they didn't seem to mind. She helped them through their dark times, going so far as to use what little money she had to help support their livelihood. She even offered them a place at the mansion once she took control of the Northwest inheritance. But then she vanished. The inept sheriffs simply believed that she went back to her home in San Diego, but the twins knew her family. They knew the true insanity that Preston Northwest managed to hide, even after the defeat of his demonic master, Bill Cipher.

Dipper and Mabel marched to Northwest Manor during the annual party held for the rich and famous friends of the Northwests. But the thick iron gates were sealed shut, keeping the townsfolk out. Suddenly it started to pour, but the twins appeared dry and untouched, using their amulets to keep the water off of them.

"Northwest… come out, come out, wherever you are." taunted Dipper and Mabel in unison.

The twins looked up at the security camera. Their piercing azure eyes glared at the lens, alerting Preston Northwest to their presence. Moments later, the gates opened. The twins wandered through the gates, their cold aura forcing the rest of the townsfolk back.

"My sister, are you ready?"

"Always. For Pacifica!"

Dipper smiled insanely as his yellow eye flares beneath its cover. The twins approached the large wooden doors to the manor, seeing the flickering light of the party. The wind built up, whirring like a tornado as it smashed into the doors, ripping them off their hinges. The lights dimmed and flickered before going out as the twins made their presence known. They entered the mansion as the casual chatter of the greedy rich went silent.

"Northwest! We would have words with thee." the twins announced.

" _Quoting Thor, Dipper? How nerdy can you get?"_

" _Shut up."_

The twins giggled before their faces went blank again. The twins saw the large portrait of the Northwest family, save for Pacifica's painting. All memory of Pacifica had been stripped away and torn down. Dipper and Mabel looked up to the second floor, meeting the gaze of Pacifica's father. The arrogant, brown haired man made his way down the steps.

"Welcome, welcome. Dipper and Mabel Pines… please, come with me."

Dipper and Mabel followed him, moving away from the guests. He lead the twins down to the wine cellar. The brick-lined, cold cellar was filled with barrels of alcohol from all over the globe. Dipper turned the knob on one of the barrels, allowing it to pour out. He rubbed his hand underneath the flowing liquid, taking it up to his mouth and licking it. The slobbery, messy behavior was like digging a nail underneath Preston's fingertips. He grinded his teeth and clenched his fists. His eye twitched while watching his precious wine go to waste.

"Red wine… good taste." Dipper said, giggling arrogantly. Preston walked to the back wall. He pressed in one of the bricks, triggering the mechanisms to his hidden vaults. Dipper and Mabel followed him down more steps.

"Leading us away from the party. Spooky."

"Well, I need to discuss business with you two. You and my… daughter."

Preston shook with disgust at the reminder of what his daughter had done, how she turned against him and joined with the lowly, revolting townsfolk. The twins followed their enemy into the vaults beneath the mansion. Piles of gold and wads of dollar bills were stacked up everywhere. Priceless antiques and artifacts were around the room. And within a circle of sacrifice dedicated to the defeated Bill Cipher lay Pacifica, captured by her family. But they had not harmed her, still having some standards despite kidnapping her.

"Northwests, you will suffer for this." Dipper said in a firm voice. Pacifica's mother was in the center of the room with her daughter. She turned around at the sound of Dipper's voice and glared at him.

"We have already suffered! Because of you freaks!" Pacifica's mother screamed. The unhinged woman charged at the twins. Her husband grabbed her and forced her into a hug, not yet ready to let her hurt the twins.

"Please, my little sweetie. We are not animals. I invited these two over to partake in a business deal."

Dipper and Mabel walked over to Pacifica. Mabel helped Pacifica stand, holding her friend's limp arm around her shoulders. Another presence made its way into the hidden chambers. Dipper smiled, seeing another of his enemies return.

"Gideon. Hello again."

"Evening, Mr. Pines."

Dipper tipped his hat to his old nemesis.

"And now what is to stop us from killing you three?" Dipper said, smiling sadistically as his eyes glowed brighter.

"That." Gideon said, pointing to the summoning circle. Dipper looked closer, realizing that mercury paint was coated into the markings. Gideon began speaking his spell.

"Nazar boncuğu or nazarlık, acnul fascinarus, malum!"

The ancient words worked against the twins' minds. Their eyes returned to their natural brown and their amulets lost their gleam. Two chairs were brought out by the Northwests. Gideon remained standing, watching the twins with a twisted, hateful glare. He took out his phone and dialed a number. Pacifica's father aimed a gun at the twins to prevent them from running.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs. Pines."

The twins heard their mother on the phone. She seemed hopeful at hearing Gideon's voice. Dipper threaded a hand through his hair, knocking off his top hat. He fiddled through his pockets and retrieved a cigar. He took out a pocket lighter and lit the cigar, inhaling a puff, which seemed to settle his nerves.

"It's you. Hi Gideon."

"Hi. I was just checking up on you."

"Thanks. Have… have you heard anything from Mabel?"

"Nothing yet. I do hope she comes back soon. We'll get her the help she needs."

"I… thanks. Thank you… so, why did you call?"

"I was just checking up on you. I had hoped you might have heard something yourself."

"No, nothing… but I'm still hoping. Still praying."

Gideon smirked obnoxiously at the depressed sigh of Dipper's mother. Dipper ignored the desire to strangle Gideon right then and there before taking another puff of the cigar.

"Yeah… just, thanks for calling. It gets rough."

"I know. I'll always be there for Mabel. I'll help her get away from her brother's web of lies. Anyways, I have an important business meeting to attend to. Bye."

"Goodbye."

Gideon sniggered as he shut the phone off.

"So, little Gideon learned some new tricks. I guess I shouldn't have sold you _short_." Dipper said with a grin. The barely five foot tall Gideon grumbled under his breath.

"Don't think I don't know what you are, Pines. A freak."

"Hello pot, name's kettle. Tea's almost done."

"Shut up."

Dipper smiled arrogantly. Mabel was also grinning psychotically. But Gideon and Pacifica's parents were too blinded by fury to realize the twins were not the ones who were trapped. Dipper spoke again, taunting his enemy.

"We're just having fun here. I mean, you had a lot of _short_ comings in the past, but now you stand tall above… seven year olds."

Dipper knew he was getting under Gideon's skin. He knew he could drive his enemy into a rash decision. Gideon stomped forward and looked into Dipper's eyes.

"You know… I was almost ready to make a deal with you. But I've changed my mind. Northwest, would you do the honors?"

Dipper snapped the cigar. His other, forever a trickster, had created an exploding cigar with a few magical enhancements. A blanket of darkness spewed forth from the cigar, causing the electrical wiring to fail. Mabel pulled Pacifica down while Pacifica's father fired blindly in the darkness. Dipper dodged to the side, avoiding every bullet. When Preston's clip was empty, Dipper sprinted towards him. Dipper triggered the hidden blade in his cane, slashing across Northwest's chest. He weaved and flicked the blade like a deranged artist, cutting up his enemy's body and bleeding him onto the floor. While Gideon stumbled in the dark, Dipper cut into his own palm. He used his blood as a catalyst to destroy the circle binding his power.

"Where are you?!" Gideon screamed. With the spell broken, Dipper's eye flashed a sickening green.

"I'm right here." he whispered.

Mabel's eyes also returned to their unnatural green as the darkness dissipated. Mabel helped Pacifica stand before walking over to Gideon. Dipper pushed Gideon down to the floor, sliding another knife out of his pocket. He handed it to his sister, who marched over with a cold, emotionless glare.

"Would you do the honors, sister?"

Mabel took the blade and crouched over Gideon.

"Gideon… you're biggest mistake was hurting our parents. Goodbye." Mabel whispered. She pressed the knife into Gideon's throat. His blood spilled out onto the floor as he screamed before being silenced forever. Preston Northwest gazed at the pair of twins.

"It's your fault! You ruined everything! Our deal with Cipher, our family, everything!"

"If it's a demon you want, I believe I can play the part."

Dipper removed his eye patch. He revealed his demonic soul to Preston, with an eye glowing bright yellow. Dipper licked his front teeth, anticipating his kill. Preston's hands shook as he attempted to reload the gun. He just barely managed to set the clip in before Dipper ripped the weapon away. Dipper aimed the weapon at Preston. He wanted the kill so much. He wanted to destroy with such hunger and lust for death. But Pacifica stopped him. She grabbed his hand, begging him to relent. To not give in to his inner darkness.

"Dipper… stop… please stop."

Dipper's sadistic smile vanished. He dragged his teary-eyed friend into a hug. Pacifica was the one who could drag her friends from the darkness, the darkness that she once was nearly consumed by. And then a gunshot echoed through the room. Pacifica's eyes darted open. She seemed perplexed at the sudden sensation in her body. The odd feeling of having no feeling at all. Pacifica fell to the floor, shot in the head by the Northwest mother in a blind rage.

Dipper looked down at Pacifica, and looked deep into her mind, but repairing the mind was far beyond his magic. The pathways of neurons, the delicate balance of molecules, the complexity of the human brain. There was nothing Dipper, a lone human, could do to bring Pacifica back. Dipper and Mabel did the only thing they could. As Mabel held Pacifica in a loving embrace, Dipper dragged the Northwest mother into the summoning circle. He removed the traces of Bill Cipher's calling. He began a different sort of magic. He used the blood of Preston Northwest, now dead, to paint the forbidden spell on the ground. Mabel and Dipper knew what they would do. They knew it would condemn them in the eyes of their friend. They knew she would never forgive them for the madness they were going to commit. Dipper retrieved his book of spells and placed his bloody palm on the center jewel. Through their shared connection with the amulets, the twins began to recite the incantation as Dipper's blood began to empower the gem, giving life to the spell they were about to use.

"This is our will. Let the blood of one be sacrificed for the life of another. Let the soul of Pacifica Northwest come forth. We bind you to this circle of power, this mortal plane."

Dipper next dragged Pacifica's mother into the center of the circle. She fought helplessly against Dipper's demonic strength. He held her down as the twins continue their prayer to the world of demons. The lights blinked and faded in the cellar. Suddenly all was dark and cold and silent. A light flickered in the distance. The twins were no longer on Earth. They were in a corridor, a passage into a dimension beyond their own. A demon came from the light. Its flesh was like flayed skin and exposed muscle. It spoke ancient, unknowable words. Its voice sounded like static and the bellowing of a diseased, insane animal. The noise became the sound of hoarse screams. The twins continued their dark prayer as Pacifica's mother struggled against Dipper's hold.

"With the blood of this cursed woman, let the life of her daughter continue. Let one life be taken so that the other may live."

The demon obeyed the commands of its summoner. The blood of Pacifica's mother boiled in her skin. Her blood burst from her pores and entered Pacifica, healing the twins' only remaining friend. And the first thing Pacifica heard was her mother screaming in agony. It was a painful, hellish wail that mixed with the screeching blathering of the summoned demon. The demon claimed the Northwest mother's soul as payment, and then returned to the demon dimension. The twins and Pacifica were sent back to the cellar. The lights of the bunker flickered back on, revealing the corpses of Gideon and Pacifica's father.

"Pacifica?" Mabel said, worried for her friend's safety and sanity. Pacifica backed away from the twins. She saw how they had changed. How they had become monsters. And she ran. She ran away from them. She ran away from her life. Away from Gravity Falls. Dipper and Mabel never saw Pacifica again. With the Northwests dead, the twins took control of their wealth, masquerading as the twin children of a mistress of Preston Northwest. They had waited for Pacifica to return and reclaim her fortune, but she never did, having abandoned her old life and the people who were once her friends.

Dipper's thoughts return to the present. He places the knife he used to kill Gideon back in its place in the chest. He closes the lid and returns the chest of memories to the closet before going back to the master bedroom. He falls down onto the large bed. He feels so small and insignificant, surrounded by their massive home. Dipper yawns, preparing to return to sleep. Then he hears a bird chirping outside. His eyes open, looking out of the window and seeing daylight. Dipper giggles slightly. Then he presses his face in his hands, mumbling in exhaustion.

"Did we really just stay up all night thinking about killing people?" he says to himself.

Dipper's hands drop from his face as he smirks again.

"Yes. Weren't those memories fun?"

Dipper groans in irritation.

"Figures I'd be stuck with a split personality."

Dipper giggles slightly before mumbling incoherently. The phone rings. Dipper sits up and retrieves the phone, now anxious to hear the news from the hospital. He worries endlessly, a hundred terrifying scenarios playing through his mind before he hears her voice on the other end.

"Hey… you there, Dip?"

"Sister… we shouldn't use our real names."

"Who… cares… so… so tired…"

"I… how are you?"

"… Just said… tired… gonna… take a nap…"

"How are they?"

"They're… they're good… doing fine…"

"I'll… I'll be there in a bit."

"Yeah… you better."

Dipper sets the phone down. Dipper rises out of his bed and begins to get dressed. He looks over himself in the mirror, taking in the sight of the Lichtenberg marks again before covering them with a white t-shirt. Then he buttons up a collared shirt with cufflinks, making sure to maintain the façade of the Northwests and their riches. Next, he retrieves his black coat. Then he places the eye patch on, looking over his appearance in the mirror to make sure he seems to be a Northwest: proud, arrogant, and oblivious to the troubles of others.

"This is the day… yes, it is."

Dipper takes a deep breath. He walks down the stairs out of the mansion. His footsteps echo loudly through the silent halls. He goes to the garage, humming to take the edge off of the stress of the last year.

"Insane. Our life really went insane… yes, it did."

Away from the mansion, Mabel is in the hospital bed. Several nurses are in the room as machines beep periodically. She's anxious, despite her exhaustion.

"So… when can I see them?" she asks one of the nurses.

"In a bit. They slept, well, like a baby."

"Ha ha." Mabel says sarcastically. Footsteps echo rapidly from beyond the room. The sound of someone hurrying, all but running to see his family. Dipper rushes into the room, smiling brightly as he sees that his sister is okay.

"Hello, brother…"

"Mabella…"

Dipper begins crying. He runs up to his sister, pushing past the nurses. He leans over to hug her. To give her comfort after the day before, when two more twins entered the world. Dipper pulls up a chair, sitting close with his sister. Minutes later, their son and daughter are brought before them. Both are crying again, desperate for their mother's warmth. She takes them both in her arms, smiling at their perfection. Their skin is soft and warm, almost unreal. And now, both sides of Dipper are one. The same feeling passes through them; joy. Pure and beautiful joy.

"They're… they're perfect…" he mumbles, tears beginning to stream down his face. The nurses walk out, giving the unnatural family precious moments together. Dipper looks up into Mabel's eyes, smiling with streams of wetness pouring down his face.

"So… Xander… want to hold them?"

Dipper nods as he rubs her shoulder affectionately, not caring in the slightest if anyone grows suspicious. This day, he won't allow his paranoid self to ruin the moment. He won't let his worries get in the way of comforting his sister.

"So… a boy and a girl…" Mabel says.

"Bella… that was our choice for a girl name."

"Yes… and Stan… little Stan and Bella… you two will be wonderful."

Dipper sits with Mabel as the hours pass, looking into the future with hope for the first time in many years.


	2. Reversal of Fortune

" _Ten… ten years ago."_

"Brother dear, are you becoming an old, reminiscing fart?"

Dipper wiggles his head, tuning back into the present time. His sister sits next to him, watching him with an amused smile.

"Thinking of how our family began." Dipper replies.

Dipper turns his attention to the two children in front of him. They're wearing their presents from the day before, their tenth birthday. Two amulets, created by Dipper and Mabel working long, tiring nights. Amulets that are the same as the ones Dipper and Mabel wear. Powerful stones that allow the younger twins to share their thoughts, their memories, their dreams. Stan and Bella have already begun to enjoy the amulets, embracing the sensation of their loved ones always being present.

"Mom, Bella wants to stay up and watch the Duck-tective."

"Sorry, but no. It's too late."

The younger twins go silent, dwelling back in their own thoughts. Bella and Stan occasionally shove or stick their tongues out at each other, but otherwise stick to their own minds.

" _Sister, we should probably limit the amount of time they use those. Don't you think?"_

" _Yes. Using it too much can't be good for them. They'll need to use their actual words to communicate with the outside world._ "

"Stan wants to know what you're thinking." Bella says, keeping her eyes transfixed on the television screen.

"My brother and I were thinking that, well, you both really like those amulets, but it wouldn't be good to wear them all the time."

The young twins don't respond, but they both take each other's hand, holding tight to avoid being separate. Dipper and Mabel already wonder if their children will end up like them, caring only for each other in a world unaccepting of their strange love.

"So, bro-bro, what do you want to do before the show tomorrow?" Mabel asks.

"I was thinking we could head out for dinner. Mario's Eatery?"

"Ugh." Stan and Bella say together, annoyed at being dragged off with their family.

"Did you have something else in mind?" Dipper and Mabel ask as one.

"We want to go to the arcade."

"Come on, don't you want to hang out with your boring parents?"

"No." the young twins reply flatly. Dipper and Mabel smile at their children before turning their attention back to the television. After another hour, Bella and Stan begin to yawn, tired at the end of the day. Dipper and Mabel take their children up the stairs to bed. Mabel tucks in Bella and Stan before kissing them on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Stan. Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight, Mom." the young twins say together, even though they do not have their amulets on. Mabel giggles as she walks with her brother to their bedroom.

"So, Dipper."

"Xander." he says, correcting her use of his original name.

"Whatever."

"Not ' _whatever_.'" he says, mocking his sister, who rolls her eyes at her brother's paranoia.

"Come on, bro-bro. You're way too cautious."

"One slip up could mean the end of us. I prefer to use our known names, Mabella."

"You're probably right, Dipper."

Dipper narrows his eyes menacingly at his sister. Mabel simply smiles innocently, causing Dipper to giggle slightly as they enter the master bedroom.

"You know, sister. I'm glad we made it."

"Yeah… didn't think we would a couple of times."

"Likewise. Not very pleasant, wondering if all we've sacrificed would have been for nothing."

Dipper shakes his head to banish the worry that has plagued him for years. He smiles into his sister's eyes as they slip under the sheets.

"Goodnight, Dipper."

"Goodnight… Mabel."

Mabel smiles as she brings Dipper into her embrace, holding him close as they drift into dreams. Days pass as the twins continue their strange existence. During the day, Mabel draws and sketches from her mind's eye, creating breathtaking works of art that are sold to the highest bidder. Dipper stays to himself, working on maintaining a watchful eye over the mansion, forever suspicious of any intruders, supernatural or human. He is also the teacher of his children, making sure they have the knowledge to survive in the normal, mundane world and the supernatural realm that hides in the shadows. And every other night Dipper and Mabel prepare for their show, the one that has brought them together time and time again. They maintain their image through the Northwest name and keep the cash flowing through their magic show, infusing normally mundane tricks with supernatural trickery. Disappearing a car by scattering its atoms, using the old supernatural copy machine to duplicate unaware volunteers and then killing the copies by crushing them between two slabs of concrete, and throwing knives at each other, causing seemingly fatal wounds before they heal themselves. The twins are the center of attention in Gravity Falls, dominating the tourism industry and becoming known nationwide. They are as famous as they are mysterious, never appearing out in public for more than a few hours at a time and banning anyone from filming their shows, maintaining the secrecy of their true identity from everyone.

During a storm, the twins await their next performance, looking at the thick red velvet curtains concealing them from the audience. Murmuring and lively conversations echo through the stage curtains. Dipper and Mabel smile, holding each other's hand as they prepare their personas. Dipper's sly grin fades slightly as Mabel's face becomes a cold, soulless stare.

"Right on schedule, broseph."

"Are you ready, sister of mine?"

"Always ready."

At the twins' command, the curtains rise, lifted up by Dipper's psychic power. The audience goes silent, seeing the majestic and alluring twins up on stage.

"Welcome… to the greatest show from another world!"

Several snickers are heard from the crowd. As if the world beyond humanity has been insulted, the room begins to become hot, almost boiling to the touch. The sound of grinding stones and the tremors of Earthquakes shake the room. The stage lights shut off, yet the twins' maintain their illumination. They captivate the audience, almost hypnotically moving through the motions as they set up their first act. The twins are silent as Mabel chains herself to a large, wooden wheel. Dipper unsheathes five slender knives, holding them between his fingers. Mabel giggles as her brother eyes her menacingly.

"Come now, brother. Don't tell me your lack of depth perception is getting to you?"

"Sister, don't be rude."

Mabel laughs slyly, earning a wrathful frown from her brother. Within several seconds, he throws the knives at his sister, almost appearing to hurl them randomly. Five knives shoot towards Mabel, and five knives miss her by an inch, landing near her head, neck, and on the sides of her body. Gasps and yelps are heard from the audience, and then applause and cheers. But the twins are not finished. Mabel, with a mischievous glare, breaks free from her restraints. She takes the knives from beside her body and glares at her brother, who seems to be caught unawares. Then she throws two of the blades. Dipper catches them without even looking at his sister, who throws the other three. He catches them also, save for one that seems to hit him in the head. The audience gasps and several children begin to cry, thinking Mabel has killed her own brother. The drops of blood from Dipper's mouth splashing onto the cold wooden floor do nothing to ease their worries. But Dipper looks to the audience, revealing he has caught the blade in between his teeth, the slight trickle of blood comes from where the blade cut his mouth. The audience applauds weakly, relieved but almost terrified of the behavior of the twins.

As the show continues, Dipper and Mabel excel at their routine, frightening and mesmerizing the crowd. At the end of their show, they bow before the audience. Dipper's hidden eye catches a glimpse of several of the members in the back. No longer needing to focus on his performance, Dipper's demonic essence is free to focus on the crowd. And those he sees stirs fear in his heart. Fear he hasn't felt in a long time.

" _What's wrong, brother?"_

" _There, second row from the back."_

" _No… it can't be."_

" _Chad, Sofia, Laura, George… and Gary's father."_

" _Gary…"_

Mabel remembers that name all too well. The name of the boy who discovered Dipper's secret evil. The teen who threatened to kill Dipper, who would have succeeded, if not for Mabel's quick action. She killed their friend, and now his father, Eddy, has come to the town that occupied his son's thoughts in the last months of his life. Gravity Falls, where the strange and supernatural seemed to originate from. Dipper begins to sweat, seeing another presence from the twins' old lives in the back of the room, hovering by the door and glaring onstage. Pacifica, filled with a desire for vengeance, stares at the Pines from the shadows. The twins' old friends don't recognize them, applauding along with the rest of the crowd. Dipper breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that his birthmark is hidden by pale makeup. The curtains fall, and the twins are left staring at the red velvet.

"Brother… what do we do?"

"If we leave our friends alone, then they should leave town soon. I don't know why they're all here… but we should be able to ignore them. Pacifica is angry. She'll prove to be a problem if she decides to reveal our identity."

"We have to find out what she wants."

"Yes."

Dipper and Mabel walk offstage. They wait near the entrance to the public part of their mansion, where the ticket takers have already left. Cases displaying the skeletons of dead supernatural creatures are scattered about the entrance. Several ancient books filled with magic are also housed within. Even with the books unprotected and no security guards, few are tempted to steal from the twins, with cold whispers in the back of the minds of those who would attempt to take advantage of the unguarded goods.

"Where is everyone?" Chad mutters.

"They left." George replies.

"Or maybe… they were never here to begin with."

Chad and Sofia laugh at the terrible joke while George and Laura roll their eyes. Gary's father, now a middle-aged man with a balding head, chuckles along as tears stream down his face. This was the place his son thought of in the last years of his life, and it's the place where he has brought Gary's old friends back together. Dipper and Mabel watch from the shadows of the second floor, a place that none of the tourists are allowed to enter. Pacifica hides in the back with a scowl on her face, looking around the mansion and waiting for when she has a chance to confront the twins.

"So… glad you came?" Chad asks Gary's father.

"I… yeah, I am. This was the town he was looking into… with his crazy conspiracies…"

"Yeah… I still miss him, even though we weren't that close."

"Yeah." Sofia mutters.

"Too bad we couldn't get Mabes to show up… no idea what even happened to her."

"I kept in touch with their parents… whatever happened, they've never said." Gary's father replies. Dipper focuses his demonic eye on the old man. He harnesses his dark powers, looking deeper into the man's mind from afar. As Gary's father scratches his head and looks away, Dipper realizes that he lied.

"He knows, doesn't he, brother?"

"Yes… he knows about our… nature."

Mabel watches as Pacifica walks past the group of their old friends. Fate seems to be against the twins this day. Dipper clenches Mabel's hand, paranoid that this is the moment that will unravel their identities. But Pacifica simply brushes past them, not knowing that she has walked past one of the other threads of the twins' old lives. Dipper breathes a sigh of relief as Pacifica continues walking.

"Yeah, it sucks… so, I remember Dipper used to stay by his great uncle's place… somewhere called the Mystery Shack. Want to head over there?" Chad mutters. Dipper clenches his hands. He grinds his teeth, seeing Pacifica pause in her steps. She turns around to look at the group, and Dipper and Mabel begin to descend down the stairs in haste, not willing to let their new lives fall apart. A cold air descends with the twins, who march silently towards their target, Pacifica. The lingering crowd turns their eyes upon the twins. Some retrieve their cameras and phones, attempting to take pictures of the mysterious Northwest twins. But all of their electronics short-circuit with the twins' telepathic powers. Dipper and Mabel approach Pacifica, smiling menacingly with their pearl-white teeth revealed.

"Lady Pacifica… it has been a long time. Please, come this way." the twins say together. Their shared voice unnerves the crowd further. Dipper catches a curious stare from his old friends. They look at Dipper, wondering about his real identity. To reassure them, Dipper threads his hands through his hair, revealing his pale, un-marked forehead. His birthmark is covered by makeup, preventing anyone from discovering the truth of his identity. The gesture settles the questioning eyes of Chad and George. Dipper and Mabel walk up the stairs with Pacifica following closely behind. Dipper and Mabel walk into their private quarters. Pacifica sits across from them, wondering what they have planned for her.

"So I take it your old friends showing up was bad timing, right?" Pacifica says. Dipper chuckles slightly before removing his eye patch. His yellow eye shines brightly in the dim lighting of the mansion.

"You think that scares me? I've seen worse than that." Pacifica declares.

"I know. We both have. When that lunatic Bill came into our world… nearly ruined everything. But that's in the past, and now we have other matters to attend to. Mainly, you."

"And your friends, right?"

Dipper smirks, seeing Pacifica's changed nature. She's angry with the twins. Angry with their using her name, with their killing of her parents.

"So what is it that you want, Pacifica?" Mabel asks.

"I want my life back. I want my name back. And I want you out of my house!"

Pacifica's shout echoes through the manor, now emptied of all others save for the twins. Except, Pacifica soon realizes, for two other humans. She sees the two sets of blue eyes staring from behind Dipper and Mabel. Dipper and Mabel realize that their son and daughter have woken up.

"Stan, Bella… you need to go to bed." Dipper says.

"We couldn't sleep." Bella says, walking into the room with Stan. Pacifica sees the twins' creations. They appear nearly identical to their parents, save for Stan's lack of a birthmark and Bella's less-pronounced cheeks. She's shocked, too shocked to react, either by running away in fear, or by vomiting at the knowledge that the twins gave birth.

"Who's this?" Stan asks.

"This… is Pacifica Northwest." Mabel says. Stan and Bella begin to back away before Dipper motions for them. Dipper and Mabel reveal what they have done since Pacifica's disappearance.

"These… are our children… and nothing will ever harm them." Dipper says pointedly, a vow and a threat should Pacifica try and reveal their identities. Pacifica becomes slightly unnerved, shifting in her seat, but maintains her resolve.

"… I want you out of this mansion in three weeks… or I'm calling the police."

"You think you aren't the first?" Dipper says, his lips curling into a devious smile.

"There've been others. Private detectives, supernatural investigators… funny, most are still here, out in the garden, buried at the roots of the oak tree I've planted. I won't let anyone harm this family… _no one_."

Dipper's threat seems to work. She looks away, pauses for a moment, and then stands up to leave. Dipper also looks away, slightly irritated with lashing out at his friend. Then he turns to look at Pacifica as she steps out the door.

"Pacifica?"

The simply dressed blonde turns around, looking at Dipper with a questioning glare, half-angry and half-confused.

"… Meet us at that Italian restaurant tomorrow… we'll discuss payments then."

Pacifica turns away, leaving the twins in their mansion. For the first time in nearly a decade, they begin to remember that it was not their mansion to start with. They took it out of desperation, and have now been living under Pacifica's name. The next day, Dipper and Mabel prepare for whatever game Pacifica may play. Mabel stays in the mansion studying memory altering spells to use against Pacifica while Dipper goes to find where his acquaintances from Piedmont are staying. Dipper looks through the rundown motel outside of the town, but he does not find them.

"Perhaps they've already left… maybe, maybe not… you're too paranoid… no, I'm just paranoid enough. Come on, let's search the restaurants… whatever you say, you schizophrenic bastard… heh."

Dipper leaves for the restaurants. Meanwhile, Mabel sits in the library of supernatural artifacts the twins have collected over the years. Stan and Bella wait patiently and silently on the couch, reading a book while occasionally whispering to each other. Mabel sets her book down and walks over to the couch, collapsing onto the seat and sputtering like a horse.

"Mom… are we going to be okay?" Stan and Bella ask.

"Of course. We always are… just… Pacifica is a good person… one we've wronged… but I can't let her hurt you. Can you understand?"

"Yeah… you can't get rid of her like the others."

"Right… hopefully we can find a way… to get her to accept a payoff."

Mabel begins to smirk. She laughs slightly, causing her children to look up at her with a curious glare.

"Payoff. Spoken like a true Northwest." Mabel says with a laugh. She focuses her thoughts, extending her will outward to search for her brother's mind. She finds him looking through several diners and restaurants for Chad and the others.

" _Ah, sister, there you are."_

" _Did you find them yet?"_

" _No… there's still one place we have to check. The Shack."_

Dipper drives over to the Mystery Shack, now abandoned after all the years. He pulls up to the broken down shack and, sure enough, he sees Chad and Laura walking around the edge. He thinks about ignoring them but he is spotted by the pair. He glances at them from behind the tinted windows of the car.

"If we leave they'll be suspicious… but they didn't see our face… but this car is fairly expensive. They'll know who's following them… damn it, we have no choice."

Dipper turns off the ignition. He steps out of the car and goes to meet with his old friends. He hides behind a polite smile, yet one that seems to just barely hide a malicious nature. Gary's father comes from behind the back of the shack, looking confused at seeing Dipper's appearance.

"So, uh, what are you doing here… Mister, uh, Xander?" Chad says, slightly unnerved by Dipper.

"I was visiting an old friend's home… this shack belonged to him."

"Oh… you knew the owner?" Gary's father says.

"Yes. We learned much of the tricks of the trade from Stan Pines. Showmanship, mystery. Such a funny fellow."

"Huh… you look a lot like the kids he used to look after, you know?"

"The… kids?"

Dipper's eyes narrow, almost seeming disgusted by the word "kid." As if children are an irritating nuisance that he never wishes to deal with.

"Uh, he never mentioned them? Dipper and Mabel?"

"Oh… them. What ever happened to them?"

"You don't know?"

"All I heard was that they vanished from home a while ago. Some trouble went down back in their town… what was the name?"

"Piedmont."

"Yes, that's it… I was driving past when I saw you poking around. I assumed some robbers were trying to break in and make an easy buck, since nobody comes up here anymore."

Dipper walks up to the windows of the old building. He swipes a hand across the dusty window and looks in, smiling weakly at the memories of the old rickety shack. Then his smile becomes a frown. He marches away from the old house, returning to his car. But suddenly he's pulled back and forced to face the group again. Gary's dad holds Dipper's arm in a grip. Dipper glares with vicious hatred towards Gary's father. The man was a cop, and it seems his training hasn't faded in the slightest since retirement. The man easily sees that Dipper is not what he appears to be.

"Don't touch me." Dipper commands in a low growl before ripping his arm away.

"I don't like… being touched."

"Sorry, I just wanted to know a bit more about you. No need to be rude."

"Manners are for those who can't afford to be honest."

With his arrogance made clear, Dipper begins to leave. He's angry at the old man for forcing him to become aggressive in front of his old friends; for pushing away like an arrogant rich monster who cares for no one but himself. Dipper returns to the car and backs out of the path, trying to ignore the lingering doubt in his mind about his friends.

"Damn old man… he knows. He knows there's something we're hiding… his son died and then we vanished. The gun… the gun our sister used to kill Gary. He must have heard from our parents that Mabel had a gun the day we fled… he must be tying everything together. We'll have to _deal_ with him if he stays any longer than a day."

Dipper retreats back to his mansion, his sanctuary from the world. Mabel's thoughts reconnect with his as he walks into the main dining hall.

" _Dipper, do you think they'll leave?"_

" _Hopefully. If they aren't gone by tomorrow, then we'll have to… convince them to leave."_

" _Did you really have to do a dramatic pause in your head?"_

" _Yes."_

Dipper and Mabel snicker at Dipper's clichéd, sly malevolence. Dipper walks through the empty halls of the mansion, focusing on Mabel's presence. He finds her and their children waiting in the entertainment room. Mabel is practicing her routine, moving through the motions like a dancer, every move perfectly instinctual. Stan and Bella read through their math textbook together, concentrating their thoughts and minds to better study the information. Stan begins to write an answer down before Bella stops him, pointing to a negative number and correcting Stan's mistake.

"So, bro, are you ready to meet with Pacifica?" Mabel asks

"Yes… we do owe her for this lovely existence. But she's still a liability… we can't allow her to reveal us to the world."

"I… do you think she will?"

"Maybe, maybe not… we saved her life… but we stole her luxury and comfort. We killed her mother. It would be hard for anyone to forgive such an action, even if her parents harmed her."

Dipper sits down, contemplating how his sister and he will negotiate with Pacifica.

"We should offer her half, don't you think, brother?"

"Then we'll be unable to continue using this mansion. Then again it's hers, so she might try to kick us out."

"We could just, like, divide it in half. She gets half, we get the other."

Dipper smirks at Mabel's easy sacrifice.

"That would work best… but will she accept it is the question. Do you think she will, sister?"

"I don't know… she's different than before; angrier. Almost like she used to be, when we first came to Gravity Falls."

Dipper and Mabel wait in their mansion as the hours pass. Soon, they prepare to go meet with Pacifica. Dipper and Mabel walk out the door, waving to their kids.

"We'll be back later."

"We should go with." Bella says. Dipper and Mabel pause in place. Her words are not that they _want_ to go, but that they _should._

"You… want to go?" Mabel says.

"Well… if Pacifica sees us as a family, maybe she'll be nicer." Stan replies. As if light bulbs have sparked on, Dipper and Mabel's faces brighten up slightly. They smile at each other, realizing that their kids are right.

"Yes… that will work well."

Dipper and Mabel walk to their car with Stan and Bella. The hour they have waited for has arrived. Dipper drives his family to the restaurant in the center of the town. Dipper and Mabel enter the restaurant with their kids. The townsfolk become quieter, watching Dipper and Mabel with a curious gaze and wondering why the reclusive twins have stepped out of their home. Dipper's gaze turns to a redheaded man dressed in a tuxedo at the cash register.

"Mr. Corduroy. Table for five, please." says Dipper in a sly, smooth voice.

"Ah, yes. Right this way." says Corduroy, pausing for a moment as he recognizes the twins.

"Er, Mr. Northwest?"

"Yes?"

"Just, you barely come down from that mansion of yours. What brings you to town tonight?"

"Business meeting." Dipper replies coldly, not wishing to deal with the questions from Wendy's brother. Dipper and Mabel hope to keep the people connected to their old lives separate, not even willing to let their old friend Wendy know of their existence. Dipper and Mabel sit down in a corner booth with their children. The large, spacious area gives the four plenty of room. Stan and Bella scoot closer together as a waitress walks over to the table.

"Welcome to Italy's Finest. My name is Jessica and I'll be your server for tonight. Would you care to start with anything to drink?"

"Just water." Dipper and Mabel reply together.

"Two cokes." Stan and Bella say at once. The waitress tenses up, unnerved by the perfect unison of the two pairs of twins.

"I, uh… right away." Jessica mutters. As she walks away, the twins see the familiar shape of Pacifica walking into the restaurant. Long, flowing blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and diamond earrings.

"It's funny, isn't it, sister? After more than a decade spent hiding away, she now comes back to reclaim what's hers. Right on the day our old friends meander into Gravity Falls."

Both sides of Dipper's splintered mind laugh, seeming to enjoy how close they are to being discovered. Pacifica makes her way over to the table. She wears a frown, but she seems to have calmed down slightly, no longer filled with as much anger. She pulls a chair up to the siblings, sitting across from them. The awkward moment is interrupted by the waitress returning with the beverages.

"What would you like to drink, Miss?" Jessica asks Pacifica.

"I'll have water."

Jessica walks away, leaving Pacifica with the people who stole her name and her home. They are the ones who robbed her of her identity. Dipper retrieves a checkbook from his pocket, setting it on the table.

"Now then, Pacifica… let's discuss how to divvy up this money we've… borrowed, you could say."

Pacifica grumbles under her breath at Dipper's arrogance. He's completely different from the boy who helped her escape her parents' legacy of greed. Now, instead, he seems to embrace the corrupt nature of the Northwest name. The name Pacifica worked so hard to repair, now damaged again by the twins.

"You stole it."

"We were waiting, you know? Waiting for you to come back." Mabel says. Pacifica turns to the person who was once her friend. Mabel can see the judgment in Pacifica's eyes.

"So you were, what, looking after it?" Pacifica replies harshly. Her words are filled with venom. She lashes out at the twins for the role they played in her losing her family.

"No… we needed a place to stay. We could barely keep the Mystery Shack afloat by ourselves. After Soos left… but then that… that day came. The day you died… the day we brought you back. And you ran… we waited. Waited as the mansion turned cold. Waited as second, third, and fourth cousins all started coming after the money. We waited as investigators looked for you. Even after we created our fake identities and made ourselves your half-siblings, we waited… but you never came… we thought you were never coming back. Which begs the question, why did you come back now?"

Pacifica forms a fist with her left hand, clenching angrily as she focuses on how she came to discover the twins.

"I heard about you… you and your… magic show. It didn't make any sense. Xander and Mabella? Northwests? Then I realized what your names meant. They're yours, but changed. You took everything… and I… just…"

The tears that splash on the table reveal Pacifica's inner turmoil. She shivers slightly before regaining her composure. The waitress returns with Pacifica's water.

"Now then, what would you like to order?"

"Give us a few minutes, if you would." Mabel replies. Jessica walks off, leaving the twins in a standoff with Pacifica. Before they can continue, they see unwanted guests arriving at the restaurant. Dipper sees his and Mabel's old friends enter the building. They find a seat on the other side of the room. George glances at Dipper for a second before turning away, unnerved by the persona Dipper has adopted. Dipper looks back to Pacifica, taking his checkbook in hand.

"Now then, Pacifica, we will begin the process of transferring the money back to you. We'll sign over the deed to the mansion, we'll return the stocks and funds held by the Northwest estate. But we will, however, have need of your mansion for our show."

"No."

Dipper's eye twitches slightly. He sighs as Pacifica begins to speak.

"You are going to leave. You ruined my family. You don't get to use their home for _your_ family."

"We simply wish to rent the rooms necessary. Other than that, you'll never have to deal with us."

"Rent? You think it's about money?!"

As Pacifica's voice rises, she earns the attention of several of the other restaurant patrons. Mabel's eyes turn to her friends, making sure that they haven't been alerted by Pacifica's outburst. Stan and Bella scoot closer to Pacifica, looking up at her with blank stares. Pacifica looks away, unnerved by the younger twins.

"Ms. Northwest… we're sorry about what happened." Bella says. The young girl looks up at Pacifica with somber eyes. Pacifica scowls, looking at Dipper and Mabel.

"You put your two… _kids_ … up to this?"

The harsh emphasis on the twins' children shows them exactly how Pacifica thinks of their unnatural bond. Dipper ignores Pacifica's demeaning tone, taking a deep breath before responding.

"Actually, it was their idea. Smart kids. Smarter than their parents."

"We thought we could help since you're so angry." Stan says. Pacifica tenses up, but releases her anger in a short breath. The kids seem to ease her rage.

"You… are crap." Pacifica whispers to Dipper.

"Yes. Quite."

"Dad has problems." Bella says. Dipper crooks his eyebrow, curious as to the game his children are playing.

"Problems?" responds Pacifica, looking back to Bella. However it is Dipper who responds.

"She's referring to my… roommate, you could say. Funny thing about demons, even after you kill them parts of them can still exist. Artifacts, tomes of dark truths, and even become other demons. I was 'lucky' enough to be given another mind, another personality. When Bill Cipher attacked me, part of his energy transferred to me. It changed me, my nature. It gave me a second self. A second mind."

Dipper waits to reveal his other eye, seeing the waitress return.

"So what can I get for you fine, hungry folks?"

"Spaghetti. We're sharing." Stan replies, speaking for himself as well as his sister.

"And you, Miss?" the waitress says, turning to Mabel.

"A three-cheese pizza."

"And I'll have the mostacholi with red wine sauce." Dipper responds. Jessica turns to Pacifica, who remains quiet.

"I'm not hungry." Pacifica whispers.

"You sure? We've got some nice specials today." Jessica announces cheerfully.

"Fine… just… give me a pizza."

"What kind?"

"Don't care."

"Uh… okay. I'll be right back."

Jessica leaves the group, sensing the tension in the air. Dipper waits for all attention to be diverted. Then he flips his eye patch over, revealing the yellow cat's eye.

"My eye is more than a simple case of heterochromia. It is more than demonic power. It is the last piece of Bill Cipher. It is, in essence, my Mr. Hyde… yes, I am!... shut up, now isn't the time… heh."

Dipper's split mind reveals itself to Pacifica. She sees the second personality he houses within his own body. The remains of the mad demon who attempted to plunge their world into chaos.

"I think… what my kids are trying to do is get you to go easy on me. Think if you know what I've dealt with you'll be less angry."

Pacifica scoffs at Dipper's arrogance. She scowls at the twins, seeing them hiding behind their children.

"You think I'll forgive you for what you did?"

"No. If it's the house you want… then give us time to leave. We'll set up shop someplace else."

"No. You aren't using my name anymore. I want you out now. I want you out of my parents' home."

"Your parents used you, Pacifica. They were using you from the beginning. I saved the only Northwest who deserved it."

Pacifica tenses up at Dipper's words. She glares at him with the full weight of her pain on her face. Then she throws the water in his face.

"You… you're garbage, Dipper… you're really garbage."

She pushes her chair out from the table and stands up, marching away from the family that ruined hers. Dipper glares at her before wiping the water away. And then he realizes that his head is bare. His hair is pulled back, and his birthmark is exposed.

"Dipper, it's showing." Mabel says. Dipper extends his telepathic powers, causing the lights to flicker and switch off. He retrieves the makeup from his pocket while Mabel dries his forehead. Dipper's eyes are focused on Eddy and the others, wondering if they saw him in his moment of vulnerability. But he sees no signs of unease in the eyes and body language of Eddy and his group. Dipper takes a deep breath before speaking to his family.

"Well then… we'll have to deal with her later. But I'm hungry. Screw it, let's eat!"

Dipper and Mabel will have to wait for the hour when they will find and confront Pacifica. They leave once they finish their meal. Dipper drives his family back to the mansion, but remains in the car as Mabel, Stan, and Bella step out.

"Dip, honey, what're you doing?" Mabel asks.

"I need to speak with Pacifica. I need to finish this tonight."

"You want me to come with?"

"No. I'm the one who ruined her life. I'm the one she wants. And if she wants to take all that anger out on me, then so be it."

"Dipper, let me come with."

"This is my fault, sister… it's why I need to do it alone. I'll be back later."

"Dip… don't do anything stupid."

"Don't worry, I'll only do something partially stupid." he replies with a grin.

Dipper drives away, returning to the hotel Pacifica is staying at. He pulls into the parking lot and leaves the car, walking up to the room he saw Pacifica walking out of. Dipper knocks on the door. A light flickers on, seen through the white curtains in the window. Footsteps echo towards the door, and Pacifica opens up, meeting Dipper face to face. Her face becomes a scowl while he smiles deviously.

"What do you want?"

"You left early. I needed to make sure you weren't running off to sic the police on me… may I come in?"

"Why?"

"So we can discuss the future. What my family will do. What _you_ will do."

Pacifica moves aside, allowing Dipper inside. He walks over to the bed and sees Pacifica's suitcase. Small, modest, and slightly torn with a stain on the side, the meager suitcase shows how far Pacifica's standing has fallen, all thanks to Dipper's murder of her parents. Dipper sits on the bed, sliding his hand up his right sleeve to retrieve a hidden blade.

"So what do you want, Dipper?"

"I have an offer. Revenge."

Dipper lets the blade slide out. Pacifica begins to back away, but stops when Dipper flips the knife around. He offers the knife to Pacifica, holding out his hand. She stares at the blade with wide eyes, utterly unable to comprehend Dipper's offer.

"Take it. If revenge is what you came back for, then revenge is what you'll have. So long as Stan and Bella are kept out of it."

Pacifica touches the knife, but quickly removes her hand from the blade. Dipper drops the weapon on the floor and stands, smiling at Pacifica.

"Well then, it seems my blood is not what you're after… so then, what is it you've really come back for?"

Pacifica's face becomes a scowl again. Tears well up in her eyes as she glares at Dipper.

"What is this… some sick joke?"

"No. The offer was real. Of course, it wouldn't have killed me. Not permanently, anyways. But it seems setting all the anger, all that rage on me wasn't part of your plan."

"Damn it… just get out…"

"Not yet. Not until we come to an agreement."

"I… give me… my family back…" whimpers the tearful eyed woman. Dipper looks away, unable to face his friend.

"I can't. They've been gone for far too long."

Dipper stands up and walks over to Pacifica, glaring down at her with his green eye.

"But I can remove the pain. I can take away all those painful memories."

Pacifica looks up at Dipper with fire in her eyes.

"No… fuck… fuck you!"

"My sweet Northwest… you really shouldn't have come back."

Dipper locks eyes with his former friend. He rests a hand on her shoulder, smiling viciously as he concocts his scheme for victory.

"You… wouldn't…"

"Kill you? No… I'd never. You are one of the few people who I value… but the same cannot be said for any who would come for me. I'd never let anyone harm the family I've started. It's obvious to me now. You aren't interested in money. You just want to see me lose what I have, what you once had… but I'd kill for my family. So if you don't want anyone's blood on your hands, then leave. Or stay and see exactly what a lunatic with telepathy can accomplish. Your choice."

Pacifica is silent, hearing Dipper's threat. And she begins to realize that he's telling the truth. That anyone she brings against him will suffer. Dipper takes his leave, looking at her with his unnatural eyes as he steps out the door. He places the eye mask back on. He is almost a moment too late. George and Chad are walking up to Pacifica's room. They watch as Dipper leaves and returns to his car. He pretends to be adjusting his mirrors and seat while listening in.

"Is something wrong?" Chad asks Pacifica.

"Nothing… it's nothing."

"Hold on, are you that Northwest lady?"

"No, I'm not. I'm tired. Goodnight."

Pacifica shuts the door, locking Chad and George out.

"What is with that family?" Chad asks his friend.

"No idea. They're fighting over something, though. Probably the mansion. Or money. Come on, let's go see if we can get Eddy to leave this crazy place. We're already running late for our trip."

Dipper turns on the car and pulls out of the parking lot, returning home as he hums Disco Girl happily. Dipper enters the doors of the mansion he stole, greeting his sister with a tired face.

"Dipper… you didn't hurt her, did you?"

"No. I simply explained exactly what I'll do to anyone else who comes after us. Hopefully she'll leave."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then we'll figure it out tomorrow."

"Yes."

"Did you send Stan and Bella to bed?"

"Yeah. They were worried about you."

"Sweet kids. Smart too."

"They are, aren't they? Smarter than you."

"How cruel."

Dipper and Mabel laugh as they ascend the stairs of their home, going to the master bedroom. The twins spend the next day preparing for their show, practicing the subtle movements of their art. One misstep could reveal the full truth of the supernatural to the audience, or cause harm to one or both of the twins. Dipper attempts to juggle several flaming knives while maintaining eye contact with Stan and Bella, glaring hypnotically at them.

"Stop being creepy, Dad." Stan says.

"Can't. It's part of the act."

Dipper grins before throwing all three knives up into the air. He looks up and catches them between his fingers, slightly burning them. The singe causes Dipper to cringe slightly before returning to his blank expression.

"You made a face, Dad." Bella says, pointing at her father's mouth.

"Yes. I'm a bit distracted, thinking about how close we were to being found out."

"What's that noise?"

"That's me, talking." Dipper jokes.

"No, listen."

Dipper goes quiet, wondering what his daughter hears. He hears a faint siren getting louder and closer. Soon, the sirens are right outside the mansion. Dipper clenches his fists as a thousand paranoid thoughts enter his mind. The fear is soon replaced by the single voice of his other side.

"Pacifica, you idiot… how many are going to die tonight?... It doesn't matter. All that matters is keeping Stan and Bella safe."

Dipper walks past the staircase, meeting with Mabel as she descends from the second floor. Dipper and Mabel exit their mansion, watching several police cars pull up to their home, along with several cars. The car doors open and seven officers come towards the home. Dipper smirks, looking at his victims.

"Guess we'll have to cancel tonight's event, sister." Dipper says with a devious grin. He locks the doors of the manor with a key, making sure no one can come up for the show.

The police force the Pines family on the ground and place them in handcuffs. Mabel looks at her brother with a worrisome expression, not wishing for her children to see exactly what kind of monster their father can be in his darkest moments. But he speaks to her in his thoughts, reassuring her of his plan.

" _Don't worry, sister. I brought the book of spells. It'll help erase the memory of all these cops."_

Mabel nods in confirmation, waiting for her brother to implement his plan. Dipper looks up at a familiar face, but not the one he was expecting.

"Eddy?"

"Take them down to the station." Eddy tells one of the officers.

"What about the kids?" a young rookie asks, worrying about Dipper's and Mabel's children.

"I'll have George look after them for a bit, see if we can get them to their grandparents."

"It's… it's fucked up."

"Yeah, it is."

"Their twins, I mean."

Dipper glares at the judgmental officer. He smiles maliciously at the younger man.

"You… you're first." Dipper says, licking his pearly white teeth.

The twins are separated. Dipper is pulled away and forced into the back of a police cruiser while Mabel is placed into another. Eddy escorts Stan and Bella into the back of his car. Stan and Bella look at their father, waiting for him to give the order to strike back. But he simply raises his open palm, silently commanding his children to not fight back, not wishing to bring them into the battle.

"Why have you taken my brother?!" Mabel shouts at the police in front.

"Just ignore her, Jeff. We'll get someone up here to help soon enough."

Mabel growls in frustration as she's escorted to the police station alongside her twin. Dipper simply relaxes in the car, humming innocently and arrogantly sure of his abilities. As the twins are dragged in handcuffs to the police station, along with their young children, Eddy steps out of the car and retrieves his cellphone. George, Laura, Sofia, and Chad follow the police inside. The life built up by Dipper and Mabel is falling apart at the seams. A pasty-faced, pale sheriff sits at his desk, yawning in boredom before seeing the twins dragged in. He rubs the tiredness from his eyes as he walks up to Dipper.

"Mr. Northwest? Is something the matter?"

"No, Sheriff Durland. We just need to go over some things with these fine gentlemen from out of state. Apparently they've mistaken us for someone else."

"Okay, need water or something?"

"Water would be good. Maybe some coffee, too. I think we're going to be here a while."

"Sure thing!"

Durland runs off to retrieve the water and coffee for Dipper and Mabel. One of the veteran officers glares in disgust at Durland's display.

"What are you doing, Sheriff?"

"I… getting water and coffee for the Northwests? I'm sure it's nothing bad or anything."

"Ugh, damn it, Sheriff. We're arresting Dipper and Mabel Pines." the rookie officer says.

"Who?"

Eddy strides proudly into the station, a look of tired relief on his face as the other cop tries to explain what happened with Mabel and Dipper. Eddy walks up to the stupefied sheriff, far too simple for the job he has. Dipper begins to realize that his greatest threat wasn't Pacifica, but Eddy.

"We suspect these two are the great niece and nephew of one Stanford Pines. They ran away from home fifteen years ago and we believe they've taken the identity of the Northwests, possibly by killing the owners of the Northwest home."

"I… what?"

"You come into our town and start throwing around these accusations?! The nerve!" Mabel protests, struggling against her restraints.

"Hey, you don't have to listen to him anymore." Laura says. She walks over to comfort her friend, hoping to help Mabel escape from her apparent kidnapper. Mabel glares at Laura, irritated at the attempt to separate her from her brother.

"It's alright, sister. We just have to sort out this absurd case of mistaken identity… Stan, Bella, are you two alright?"

"Yes… Uncle."

Stan and Bella have to pause, remembering that only they ever address Dipper as their father. Everyone else considers him their uncle.

"Durland, escort Mr. Northwest to the back room. Leave his sister and niece and nephew in the holding cell."

Mabel growls as she's forced into the cage with her two children. Laura and Sofia wait by her cell as Eddy and Chad walk behind Dipper into the interrogation room. The dull white paint is illuminated brightly by the florescent bulbs. A small table and several chairs are in the center of the room, with only one window for air and ventilation in the hot summers. Dipper smiles viciously, all sense of sanity and self overwhelmed by his other half. He prepares for the dark task necessary to remain hidden. The voice of the demonic remains of Bill Cipher awakens in Dipper as he sits down at the table. Across from him sits Eddy, three officers, and Chad and George. Dipper rubs his hidden eye. In the bright light, his lightning scars appear fully, the light red contrasting with his pale skin.

"So, why on Earth do you think I'm Dipper Pines?"

Dipper rests his hand on the table and begins rhythmically tapping his fingers.

"Dipper, stop this!" Chad shouts. The azure gaze of Dipper's right eye looks onto Chad.

"You were his friend, weren't you? He must have done something very serious to earn this sort of hate." Dipper says.

Chad stomps over to Dipper's side of the table, but Eddy stops him, grabbing the angry man's hand.

"Stop, Chad. Just stop. I'll deal with this."

Chad pulls away and storms out of the room. Dipper smirks, amused at the situation.

"Something funny?" one of the cops asks.

"Just wondering what Dipper Pines did to earn this sort of hate."

"You killed my son, probably others as well. Then you kidnapped your sister and ran away."

Dipper giggles slightly, feigning ignorance of the situation. Eddy's blank expression doesn't change in the slightest.

"Well, that sure is a dangerous fellow. But what makes you think I'm him?"

"I've suspected for a while. I've been to your show before. Coming to see the last place my son talked about before he died. And I saw you… I knew, but I had no proof. But then I began to research. You claimed to come from the town of Jonesville, Montana. But there is no record of you living there. No birth records, no family, no friends. No one has ever heard of you."

"You went snooping around my home town?"

"Yes." Eddy replies bluntly. Dipper goes quiet, caught off guard by Eddy's confrontational nature.

"And then there was that night at the restaurant. Ms. Northwest threw a glass of water in your face. There was a marking on your face. That's when I knew."

"Yes, it was my face turning red. I don't like being disrespected. Especially by random police officers from out of their jurisdiction… funny, your uniforms aren't state police… if I were to be specific, I'd say you were from Piedmont, California. Trying to help your ol' buddy nab the crook who took his son?"

Eddy shifts slightly in his seat, not having expected Dipper to figure out the truth of the police. That Eddy could not have put together a force based on a hunch, and instead recruited his friends from the police force to come when he told them he had found Dipper Pines.

"Well, if there is no _official_ police business here, I'd like to go now. You've already ruined one of my shows. I don't want you interfering with another."

"There's just one more thing." Eddy says. He reaches over the table, attempting to place his finger on Dipper's head. Dipper focuses his thoughts on the makeup itself, prepared to keep it in place even with Eddy's attempt at removing it. But in the blink of an eye, Eddy moves his hand down and grabs Dipper's hand. Eddy rips off the amulet before Dipper can react. Dipper giggles slightly as he feels his power fade and his connection to Mabel severed.

"That… was funny." Dipper says as his eyes return to their natural brown. George stares awestruck. Several of the cops blink rapidly, unable to make sense of what they've seen. Dipper wiggles his fingers, seeming to anticipate the difficulty of getting away.

"It's strange. Without my power, I'm almost human... almost."

Dipper giggles psychotically as two of Eddy's friends walk by him, placing him in handcuffs. Dipper purposefully wipes away the makeup on his head, seemingly accepting his defeat.

"George, go retrieve Mabel's amulet." Eddy says

"I… what?"

"Go take away Mabel's amulet so she doesn't try and help Dipper."

George stutters for a second before nodding, hurrying out of the room with another cop. Eddy and his remaining officer search Dipper from head to toe, finding a book with a gem in the center, several hidden blades, and a cigar. Dipper dives for the book of spells, desperate to keep it, but Eddy forces him back while the other cop aims his pistol at Dipper.

"You idiot…" Dipper mutters under his breath, knowing that the book of spells was his only way of wiping the memories of every officer. Now, the only way for him to fight back is with sheer brutality. Eddy hands over the items to the sheriff, who takes them all away. Dipper watches as the sheriff hides the cigar in his pocket, saving it for later.

"You just couldn't leave us alone, could you?" Dipper asks the cops with a smile.

"No. Your parents mentioned Mabel threatened them with a gun. Same kind that was missing from my collection. After you took my son from me."

Eddy begins to cry. But he's smiling. He's happy that he's found the killer of his boy after so many years.

"You took the only thing that mattered to me. You hurt so many innocent people… but the reason… the reason I kept searching… was to find your sister. To stop you from hurting her further."

"Hurt her? She followed me of her free will."

Eddy chuckles slightly.

"You probably believe that, don't you?"

"I know it… you think I killed Gary, did you? I never wanted to hurt him… even after he found out my little secret. My… other. He was going to kill me. But I even let that slide-"

"Don't." Eddy says, cutting off Dipper's explanation.

"I wanted him to live, Eddy. I was going to let him know my secret. But he wouldn't listen… so Mabel shot him in the face."

Dipper giggles at the misery in the room, utterly overcome by his inner demon. Despite his mad cackling, tears stream down his face, the inner human trying to find ways to save the people in the room.

"You all… really should have left."

Eddy hides the amulet away from Dipper, preparing for the worst. But nothing comes. Minutes pass, and Dipper makes no move. George and Eddy leave the room, returning to Mabel's cell and sitting down. Durland offers coffee to the police officers. As the night ticks by, Eddy makes several phone calls to his allies. Cops, judges, and others are brought together as the old cases of Gary's death and Dipper's disappearance are reopened. All the while, Dipper remains calm and collected in the interrogation room, kept separate from his sister.

"I just… I can't believe it. Magic, demons, vampires. Where does the bullshit end?" Chad mutters aloud.

"No idea." George replies.

"Is God real? Is the Devil real? Or is it all a bunch of Hindu elephant aliens fucking around?"

"Language." Mabel says, cuddling close with her two children.

"And how… how is _she_ just sitting in there, acting like this happens all the time?"

"Ain't the first time we've been arrested. And it won't be the last."

"Mabel… you know who we are, right?" Laura asks.

"Sure I do. I'm crazy. Doesn't mean I have Alzheimer's."

Chad stifles a laugh at Mabel's joke before going quiet. Sofia pulls a chair up to Mabel's cell, looking at the two kids Mabel has close to her.

"Mabel, please. Talk to us."

"I am. I'm right here, with my two children, waiting for you to let us go. But that isn't going to happen, is it? How many police officers are coming up here? How many news crews will be coming in the next couple of weeks? How far will the story spread, given the chance? I hope that isn't going to happen. You don't know my brother like I do. He'll fill the hillside with graves and mind-wipe half the state before he gives up this life."

Sofia shivers slightly, but does not let Mabel's cold nature push her away.

"So… your kids look cold. I'll go find a blanket or something."

"… Thanks."

Sofia walks around the police station, searching for something to help in the cold cell. Finding nothing, Sofia leaves to go back to the hotel and fetch several towels. Laura and George sit by the cell, still trying to comfort Mabel.

"So, Mabel… you have kids now?" George asks.

"I do. And to answer the question on all your minds. Yes, Dipper is the father."

Laura's eyes seem to bulge out of their head. Chad covers his mouth, almost ready to vomit at his suspicion's confirmation. George just takes a deep breath, trying to help Mabel as much as he can.

"You know, they aren't… wrong, in anyway." George says. Mabel and her children glare at him as Mabel begins to speak.

"No, they aren't… my brother made sure of that. Nine months. That's how long he spent at my side… watching over them, manipulating the strands of DNA. Ensuring they were perfect. No flaws. No complications… truth is, I didn't know what I wanted to do at first. I thought… bad things. But he realized what he could do. With that other mind built into his. And they _are_ perfect."

Mabel smiles down at her two twins, kissing Stan on the head while Bella sinks deeper into Stan's side, tired of the day.

"You… is it true? Did you kill Gary?" George asks Mabel.

"… Yes. I did. If I didn't, he would have shot Dipper."

Mabel looks away, ashamed to look at the people who were once her friends. George looks down, shaking his head as if to tell himself that she's wrong.

"No… it was whatever Dipper did. He killed… he killed those people."

Mabel smirks slightly, realizing that no matter what, her friends will never understand the strange world she lives in. The world of the supernatural, where right and wrong blur together in a mix of confusion.

"Yeah, he did. Jeff, that bully. A couple of Jeff's friends… but I think he'd be far worse without me. I don't know how Dipper could keep his demon at bay alone."

"You… you keep talking about him like he doesn't have control."

"He doesn't… not always. It's complicated."

"Well, what is it?" Laura asks.

"… When we were twelve, we came to this town during the summer. Gary found out there was something strange in this town. We found out too. Then a demon came. A demon called Bill Cipher. And we fought him off. Of course, we had help. Can't expect twelve year olds to stop a psychotic mindbender from taking over the world all by themselves. But before he died, Bill attacked my brother. He didn't kill Dipper. He… changed him, though. Gave him a second mind. I don't know if Bill intended that as a curse, or simply didn't have enough power to kill Dipper at the end."

"Why… why are you telling us all this?" Chad asks bewilderedly.

"Because no one will believe you. Long lost twins found pretending to be rich folks. And the police mysteriously vanish after a night… oh wait, I'm skipping ahead a bit. Oops. Whomp, whomp!"

Mabel giggles lightheartedly, sounding almost like her old self. She blows a raspberry before laughing again, a laugh that unnerves everyone in the room. After twenty minutes, Sofia returns with blankets from the hotel. She hands them over to Mabel in the cell, who helps tuck her children in as they lie on the cold, flat bench. It is far after midnight, and everyone in the town has long gone to sleep, save for a few partygoers celebrating on their summer vacation. Eddy walks into the room where Dipper is held. The demonic man is tapping his fingers on the table impatiently, waiting for the opportunity to strike. Eddy simply sits down across from Dipper, shaking his head at the madness unfolding in his world.

"Your parents have been notified of your capture. Soon the word will spread. I also have several other squads coming in. Kidnapping's a big deal, you know? Once the law knows, it'll send everything to try and protect the victims… I can't guarantee Mabel's safety. But I can help your kids. It's the least you can do."

Dipper smiles deviously.

"You know… you remind me of your son. Stubborn, irritating, too smart for his own good. Sad to say it'll end the same way for you."

Eddy takes a deep breath, trying to control his anger.

"Funny. You even look like him when he got shot in the face. Heh heh."

Eddy raises his fist to strike Dipper, but relents. The old, tired man leaves the room. He looks at the sheriff, who is shaking his head in an attempt to keep himself awake.

"Keep an eye on him." Eddy says. Durland nods before moving into the room with Dipper, leaving the door open behind him. Durland sits down across from

"So… you're Dipper Pines. The city boy."

"Yes… yes I am."

Dipper extends his arms overhead, stretching to calm his muscles, before slouching back down with his hands folded behind his head. He leans back, almost seeming to enjoy the spotlight, and the chance to revel in his dark deeds.

"How could… how could you have done all those things?"

"It's quite easy once you put your _minds_ to it."

"You… you're a monster!"

"Mostly… though I don't kill unless it's absolutely necessary. You too, know what it's like."

"I'm not like you." Durland says, almost shouting in anger.

"No… that's a good thing… it gets tiring after so long."

"… What?"

Dipper's smile fades slightly. He allows the mask of evil to leave in the presence of the sheriff, almost ready to cry.

"Truth be told… I'm sort of glad it's all over… I… I don't know what to do anymore."

"Well… you need to make it right with the lord and the law. Your sister is innocent, and if you care about her, you'll confess to what you've done. Save her and her children."

"I… you're right… you are… I'm a bit scared… me, scared. Hah! That's a good one."

"You brought this on yourself. Least you can do is make it right for Eddy. Losing his boy, such a terrible thing."

Dipper nods tearfully, shuddering in fear.

"I… I really need a smoke." Dipper says with a sad laugh. Durland, believing that Dipper is ready to go to jail, walks out of the room. He fetches a carton of cigarettes and brings it in. Dipper sighs in annoyance.

"Actually, I was hoping to have that cigar of mine."

Durland takes the cigar out of his pocket, but he hesitates. He realizes just what kind of magic Dipper has been hiding, and now begins to suspect the cigar.

"You… it's a trick."

"It's not… if you want, you can light it. Give it a whiff."

"It'll explode!"

"If it did, we'd both be dead."

"Nah, nah! You got some kind of… resistance, or something."

"If I couldn't be hurt by an explosion, then it's highly doubtful I could be harmed by bullets… except if that were the case, I'd have attacked you all by now, wouldn't I?"

Durland pauses, the slow and dusty wheels turning in his head. He begins to fall into Dipper's trap, as easily as an innocent child. Durland lights the cigar and puts it up to his face. But he doesn't smoke it.

"It's poisoned!"

"… let me smoke then. If it is, it'll kill me."

"I… fine."

Durland hands over the cigar, which Dipper puts to his lips. He inhales a puff of the strange concoction, releasing a deep breath of relief.

"This… this is the good stuff."

Dipper tips the chair back, leaning lazily on the precipice of the chair falling over. He sticks his head out of the doorway, looking out into the police station at the tired group. Eddy notices Dipper's stare. And then, looking closer, he recognizes the cigar.

"Oh hell."

Dipper rolls his eyes and stands up, watching Eddy run into the room. Dipper begins walking around the room, inhaling a puff every few seconds as Eddy readies his pistol.

"Boys?! Get in here!" Eddy shouts. Several cops enter the room. They all take aim at Dipper, prepared for any tricks he has up his sleeves. Durland takes out his own gun, nervously looking between the police officers and hoping they don't realize Durland gave the cigar to Dipper.

"Put the cigar out." Eddy commands.

"I'm just having a smoke… Drowlum powder. Ever heard of it?"

"Put the cigar out or we'll fire!"

"A magnificent creation. Sort of like gunpowder."

Dipper breaks the cigar. The explosion of purplish smoke engulfs the room. Eddy and his officers open fire on Dipper's position. A dozen gunshots aimed directly at where Dipper last stood, all to ensure he isn't able to attack. And then silence takes over. Eddy and his officers continue to aim at the spot where Dipper was last, preparing for the worst. But they hear nothing, save for the sound of blood dripping on the floor. Eddy and the police stumble away to the door, attempting to escape the darkened room. The door swings open and Chad runs in.

"What the hell happened?!"

"He tried to attack." Eddy replies, moving to retreat with his back against the door. The smoke begins to clear, passing through the open door. As the light returns to the room, Eddy looks for Dipper's body. Instead he finds blood drops leading to the broken window, where Dipper was last standing, and a pair of handcuffs on the floor.

"Fuck. He wanted us to shoot so we'd hit the windows."

"What do we do, Eddy?"

Eddy checks his pocket. To his great relief, he finds the amulet still there.

"Spread out and find him. Don't let him get his hands on the amulet."

"What the hell is he?" Chad asks.

"He's human. But the amulet gives him telepathic power. Gary… my son, he was researching these things before he died. It took me a while before I realized they were connected. He found out about the telepathic power Dipper was using to kill."

"This isn't real. This can't be real!" one of Eddy's police officers mutters.

"It is. Now pull yourself together!"

Mabel looks at George, who carries her missing amulet. Stan and Bella stare with their now brown eyes, watching the chaos unfolding.

"He escaped. He always escapes." Stan and Bella say together.

"My brother isn't too kind when he's in one of his… moods. Leave now and you might live." Mabel says calmly. Eddy ignores her too, determined to bring his son's killers to justice.

"Don't listen to her. Dipper can't hurt us anymore. Spread out and search the area. He can't have gotten far."

Eddy points to two other officers, who stand ready like soldiers prepared for war.

"Jessica, Johnny. Search the alleys and backyards. Follow the blood if you can."

Then Eddy turns to two of his other officers.

"You two, head down the main streets."

Eddy then turns to his remaining cops.

"We're going to stay near the station and try and catch him in a pincer. Everyone else, stay here and wait for back-up. State troopers should be here in less than an hour."

"Fuck. Fuck!" yells Chad, cowering in the corner with the rest of his friends. Eddy looks to Sheriff Durland, who cowers on the floor with the other civilians.

"Durland, keep this place locked down. He'll be coming back."

Durland shakes as he rises to his feet. He nods rapidly as he follows Eddy and his allies to the doors. After the officers leave to hunt Dipper, Durland locks the doors. He also locks the door to the room with the broken window, ensuring no one can enter the building without alerting the sheriff. Then Durland hides in the corner, waiting for the far braver police force to apprehend or kill Dipper. Down the alleyways, two of the officers are searching for any sign of Dipper, shining their flashlights up and down the backstreets as they make their way forward.

"Hey, check behind us, will ya?"

"Sure thing, Jess."

The officer turns around and begins backing up, watching out for an attack from behind. They make their way down the alley until one spots something.

"Hey, look over there. That window's open."

The officers mount the fence and close in on the window. Examining the area around the window, the police find drops of blood staining the white windowsill.

"He's inside. Warn the owners. I'll keep watch over here to make sure he doesn't escape."

"Yes."

As Jessica runs around the side of the house, Johnny takes position at the window. He looks in at the unlit kitchen. The faucet is dripping, having just been used, and several of the draws are open. Just as the officer turns around, his head is slammed against the side of the house. Dipper retrieves Johnny's radio and begins tying him up with duct tape found in the house. Dipper covers the man's mouth to prevent him from shouting for help as long as possible, and then dashes away, leaving the concussed man rolling on the ground.

"I won't kill them… it's the only way… no, we can get the book. Use a memory spell… those take too long to set up… but not if they're all searching for me outside… maybe. But if you fail, then it's _my_ turn. So you'd best prepare for screams."

Dipper dashes back towards the police station, leaving the other officers behind to search fruitlessly for him. But before he can enter, he hears the voice of Eddy coming through the radio.

"Report in. What's the situation, Jeff?"

"Nothing here. Over."

"Alfredo?"

"Same. Over."

"Jessica?"

"I'm investigating a house. Owner isn't responding, probably asleep and can't hear. Should I go in? Over."

"Where's your partner? Over." Eddy asks.

"He's watching from behind, making sure Dipper doesn't try and double back out an open window. Over."

"Johnny's your partner, right? Over."

"Yeah. Over."

"Johnny? Report in."

Dipper is silent at first. Then he presses the switch. He covers his mouth slightly, attempting to hide his voice.

"I'm here. No one's come out of the house. Over."

"Leave the home. If he's there he'll only be a danger to the owners if we alert them. Move back and see if he tries to leave. Over and out."

Dipper smiles deviously as he sneaks up to the open window. He snakes his way through the room, attempting to keep his presence hidden for as long as possible. Dipper presses his head to the cold door, listening to the conversation on the other side. He hears panicked shouting from the sheriff and Chad, and terrified murmurs from Mabel's friends.

"Why is this happening?" Laura asks. Sofia shakes her head in disbelief, realizing how close they are to death's door.

"We fucked up. We never should have followed Eddy."

"Damn idiot. He'll fuck this up." George replies.

"Stop! All of you stop!" Chad shouts. Everyone turns to Chad.

"Just… we'll get through this, okay? We're safe in here. They'll find him."

"Safe? With those freaks?" Durland says.

"Shut… stop, okay? Mabel isn't a freak… she… she's just been hurt, is all." Sofia replies, still trying to convince herself that Mabel is simply a victim.

"Well, we're safe for now at least. You took Mabel's jewel thing and her kids'."

"Yeah… wait, her kids?" George says.

"Yeah… they were… they had them jewel things too."

All eyes turn on the younger twins, who have pressed their faces against the cold iron bars, staring at the group with their cold, emerald eyes.

"You weren't supposed to find out." Stan and Bella announce. Dipper doesn't hesitate a moment longer. He picks up a chair and smashes the window, diverting attention away from his kids. He moves his hand through the broken glass, reaching for the door to unlock it from the other side.

"Fuck! GO AWAY!"

Several bullets fly at the door, sending splinters into Dipper's side. He moves his body out of the way while a bullet hits him in the arm. Dipper groans as he finishes unlocking the door. Durland desperately fiddles with his gun, trying to reload before the weapon is torn from his hands by the telepathic powers of Stan and Bella. They drag the gun into the cell, along with the keys. Mabel fiddles with the keys to her cell as their former friends begin shouting and scrambling for the door. Chaos claims the room as Dipper hurries to incapacitate the sheriff. Dipper grabs Durland by the throat and slams him head first into a table. George and Sofia run for the door while Chad attempts to punch Dipper in the face. Dipper grabs the man's hand, places his other hand on Chad's arm, and then lifts him up before throwing him down. Dipper points at Chad, who rolls around on the floor in agony.

"Ugh…"

"Stay down or I'll break your arm next." Dipper commands. Mabel, Stan, and Bella have freed themselves from the cell. Mabel marches over to the front doors and begins dragging Sofia and George away by the collar, aided by Stan's and Bella's amulets. Dipper looks around for his book. The key to saving the lives of everyone who has invaded his life of privacy. Laura stands with the book in her hands, as well as Mabel's amulet. She prepares to smash the blood red gem in the center of the book on the wooden table, the key to using its arcane magic.

"Stop!" Mabel shouts, realizing what her friend is about to do. Laura smashes the book on the table several times, attempting to break the powerful gem. Before she can damage it, the book flies out of her hands and into Mabel's.

"Did you take the cops out, brother?"

"No… I need the book. They'll be surrounding the building soon. They must have heard the gunshots."

Dipper hears Eddy shouting commands on the radio, as the cops have realized that Dipper has returned to the police station.

"We have to work fast, sister."

Dipper places the gem on his wounds, which sucks out his blood. He attempts to begin the spell before several gunshots pierce through the glass doors of the police station. Dipper leaps away from the rounds fired at the door, taking a hit to the torso as he scoots into cover.

"Stan, Bella, Mabel, are you all alright?!"

"Yes!" Mabel shouts, taking her amulet from George's pocket. George huddles in the corner away from the violence, completely unaware of what has happened. Dipper's two kids leap for their father, huddling close for a sense of safety. Even though their faces don't show it, Dipper knows they're terrified. But even worse, he looks back at his book. The gemstone is cracked and leaking dark energy. It begins to pulse and release spurts of blood. Dipper realizes that the gem is breaking apart.

"No… damn idiots."

Dipper hunches over, tensing up as his muscles convulse in agony. His fingers twist and crackle and he contorts in pain. Then, he releases all tension in his body. Dipper's other half has assumed full control.

"My turn!"

Dipper laughs as he tosses the book towards the entrance of the building just as three of Eddy's officers begin to break in. Dipper and Mabel run to the back room with their kids as Durland and Chad run for the entrance, attempting to escape. All too late do they realize why Dipper threw the book. Sofia looks up as the gem shatters. The demonic energy held within, and the blood sacrificed over hundreds of years, bursts free. The explosion destroys the entrance of the sheriff's office. The noise is deafening, causing Stan and Bella to cover their ears. They cry out in terror, hugging close to their father. Dipper's ears are ringing while Mabel stumbles around in a daze, falling over from the blast. Dipper looks around the room, trying to regain his balance. The door to the interrogation room has been blown off its hinges. Blood is oozing into the room, not all from the gem. A noise like the toll of a harsh and foreboding bell echoes through the area, a dread that even Dipper can hear.

"I… Dipper?"

Dipper looks up at his sister and his lover. The wounded man smiles as he struggles to his feet. Bleeding from cuts and bullet wounds, he prepares to finish the battle.

"My sister… let's finish this insanity."

Dipper stumbles towards the door. He looks out cautiously into the destroyed room. Chad and Durland are gone, vaporized by the explosion. Laura is badly wounded, bleeding deeply from her stomach. Her ruptured organs spill out onto the floor. Sofia is on the floor, unmoving, while George cowers in the corner with a broken arm. Dipper hurries into the room, looking down at Laura. The two pieces of Dipper's mind begin struggling over what to do with her. The demon, desiring safety above all else, wishes to let her life end. The human, the one who once cared for Laura as a friend, fights to regain control and save her with his dark mind.

"She'll… she's a liability… I don't care! Sister, give me your amulet, quickly!"

Mabel runs up and hands her amulet to Dipper, who focuses his demonic thoughts on Laura's wounds, looking down to the microscopic level as he did for his children. He sends the blood back into her body and seals her intestines.

"Good thing I took that anatomy class online."

Dipper smirks as Laura's body regenerates. Next Dipper moves onto Sofia, hoping she has simply been knocked out by the blast. He presses his head to her chest, listening for a heartbeat and signs of breathing, but all he hears is the sound of shouting and worried murmurs from outside. Dipper focuses on Sofia and finds no signs of life, her brain hemorrhaging on the inside. He attempts to repair the damage, but finds that there is no life left in Sofia. Her soul has vanished beyond, leaving an empty shell. Dipper pounds the ground in frustration before screaming in rage.

"You just couldn't leave us alone, could you?!"

Dipper turns his attention to the broken entryway, and the growing crowd outside. Gravity Falls has awakened with the rumbles of the demonic quake. The cop's radio buzzes to life.

"Come in, what the hell just happened?" Eddy shouts from the other end.

"I'm at the scene. Alfredo's badly wounded. I don't think he'll make it… I don't see Johnny or Jess anywhere. Fuck. Oh god, there's blood everywhere."

"Pull it together."

Dipper grins psychotically as he answers the radio.

"Hello, and welcome to Xander Northwest's all-time-fun extravaganza! You just couldn't let me do this peacefully, could you? You had to go and shoot up my favorite book. And now look at the mess you've made!"

Dipper laughs maniacally over the radio, taunting the police into coming for him. He throws the radio against the wall, smashing it to pieces. He knows the cops won't use their radios to communicate anymore, knowing he could be listening to every word.

"Sister… take Bella and Stan back to the mansion. It isn't safe out here."

"And leave you to fight them all by yourself? No. We're in this together, brother, no matter what we have to do."

Dipper and Mabel join hands, looking back at their kids one last time before they go to finish off the people who know their identities.

"Stan, Bella. Head back to the mansion. We'll finish this." Mabel says.

"We will." the young twins reply, returning to hide in the interrogation room for the time being. Dipper splits up from Mabel, walking back down the side streets while Mabel approaches the crowd, keeping a safe distance away from the area of the explosion. Sirens blare in the distance while several more courageous citizens rush to the entrance.

"Hey, are you okay?!"

"Yes. Fine." Mabel answers.

"What the hell happened?"

"A gas explosion."

Mabel turns away from the carnage, eyeing her prey from the edge of the crowd. Three cops remain at Eddy's side, all of them arguing with the old man about whether to retreat or press on. Mabel turns around, seeing Alfredo bleeding out on the ground, aided by his partner. The other cop hasn't noticed her, allowing her to sneak up on him. Mabel retrieves one of her more lethal tools, a weapon that the police didn't notice on her. A thin sliver of metal hovers in the air next to her, ready to end the other cop's life. She walks behind him, then pierces the blade into his neck. The sharp yet brittle blade shatters into pieces, shredding the cop's brainstem. The man collapses on Alfredo's body, seemingly passing out from shock.

Mabel turns back to Eddy's group as an ambulance arrives. An emergency team runs out and into the station to sort out the madness, aiding George and Laura, the only survivors. Mabel pushes past the denizens of Gravity Falls, marching on her target with singular focus. She glares deep into the eyes of Eddy, challenging him to hunt her down. Mabel walks down the street before making a run for the alleys where Dipper fled. Eddy and his remaining cops follow suit, giving chase to the twins. Eddy's officers fire several shots at Mabel. She narrowly dodges the bullets while taking cover behind a wooden fence. Mabel scurries away from the approaching cops. Eddy sends two officers down the opposite path to search for Dipper, taking his last friend with him to hunt down Mabel. She uses her telepathic power to shatter several windows, summoning the shards and hurtling them at Eddy and his ally. Eddy dodges to the side while his friend is punctured in the chest. The man doubles over, coughing and wheezing in pain. Dipper watches his sister's battle from afar, as well as the two cops moving ever closer to his position. Dipper sits behind a fence, waiting for the two cops to pass him by. They're ready for anything, aiming at the slightest hint of movement. Dipper readies his knife, but feels his body ready to pass out from blood loss.

" _Damn demon brain… you can… you've been through worse. Stay up!... Figures I'd forget to heal myself."_

Dipper shakes himself back to awareness, watching as the two cops pass him by. But Dipper spots a scurrying raccoon, which knocks into a barbeque on the side of the house. Both cops turn towards the sound, close to Dipper's position.

"Stupid rodent." Dipper whispers under his breath. The two police hop the fence, just missing Dipper's still body hidden in the bushes. Dipper knows he only has moments before he's spotted. He does not let his small advantage slip away. He throws the kitchen knife at the neck of one of the officers. The man's artery is severed as the blade passes through and nicks the side of the other cop's head. Dipper leaps to the other side of the fence as the survivor realizes what's happened.

"Fuck!"

Dipper runs back to Mabel's position, avoiding fire from the last cop as he screams in rage.

"Die, you piece of shit! Just die!"

"Can't! Too much to do!"

Dipper laughs despite taking a bullet to his left shoulder blade. He continues to dash, no longer able to see his sister or Eddy. Mabel has moved further down the street as houselights flicker on throughout the neighborhood. Several people watch from the windows at the alley where the gunshots were heard. Mabel sees them all. The eyes of every potential witness. She hears the crack of a bullet whipping through the air, then the small sting of a bullet hitting her in the leg. Mabel stumbles to the ground before scurrying behind several garbage cans. She looks for a weapon to use, anything to help her make the kill. She lifts her left leg up as the pain begins to grow.

"Ugh… lousy human brain, not good enough to heal me."

Mabel looks for Eddy, but she doesn't spot him on the narrow path.

"Damn dummy Mabel! Can't stop bullets, can't stop the bleeding. What're you good for?"

"A lot, sister."

Mabel looks over to see Dipper crouching beside her, smiling despite his grievous wounds.

"Where's Eddy?"

"He doubled back to the main street… mind if I borrow that amulet of yours?"

"Uh, yeah."

Dipper takes Mabel's gem. He focuses his demonic thoughts on his wounds, sealing his severed veins and damaged organs. But then he receives two shots to the back. Dipper slumps over in Mabel's arms. He shifts around, staring into the eyes of Eddy. Several sirens begin blaring in the distance. Police sirens, summoned by the maddened phone calls about the explosion. At least a dozen squad cars are coming closer. Dipper glares with his multicolored eyes. His yellow cat's eye shimmers brightly in the darkness.

"You… really put up a good fight, Eddy. I'll give you that."

"I'm done."

Eddy aims his pistol at the twins, prepared to kill the two who have brought him so much pain and suffering. But his gun simply clicks, having emptied all his shots. Dipper grins psychotically before leaping at Eddy. Dipper punches the man in the face and grabs his head, smashing it into the sidewalk while laughing.

"Come on, Eddy! Isn't this fun?! You'll get to see your boy again!"

Eddy punches Dipper in the face and throws him off, only to be tackled by Mabel. She throttles the old man, desperate to end the battle before reinforcements arrive. Dipper crawls beside her, and with his own hands, wraps his fingers around Eddy's throat. The twins suffocate the remaining life out of their dead friend's father, watching as his face becomes bloated and purple. Eddy struggles for only a few moments before losing consciousness. Dipper snaps the man's neck, ending the life of Gary's father. Dipper wiggles his fingers, seeming to enjoy having his hands stained by the blood of those who were simply trying to help their friend. Mabel stands and yanks Dipper to his feet, snapping him out of his mad bloodlust. Dipper hands the amulet back to his sister while retrieving his own, placing the ring back on his finger. Dipper helps heal Mabel's wound, removing the bullet before repairing the damage to her leg. Then the twins dash away, hearing the sirens growing closer as the reinforcements arrive. They use their telepathic powers to shut blinds, close windows, and slam doors shut to prevent the snooping populace from seeing them flee. The twins make their way to the outskirts of town, watching several dozen tourists at the motel observing the mayhem. Then the twins spot their rival for the Northwest's inheritance. Pacifica is outside and looking for the twins. She knows they have a part to play in the mayhem. Dipper and Mabel take advantage of everyone watching from the street. They enter Pacifica's room and begin searching for her keys. Dipper finds them resting on the nightstand and grabs them. They are about to walk out the door when Dipper stops, pauses and looks around.

"What are you doing, Dipper? We have to go!" Mabel says, almost shouting due to the urgency of their situation. Dipper picks up a note and pen and writes a quick message.

 _Sorry we took the car. Needed to drive back home. If you want it, come back tomorrow._

Dipper leaves the note on the bed before hurrying out of the door. They walk towards Pacifica's car just as she's ready to turn around. Dipper and Mabel sneak into her vehicle, unnoticed as she walks back into the hotel. Then they pull away before she realizes they've taken her car. The twins return to the mansion as the police begin to sort through the mess in the town.

At home, they look for any sign of their kids, but the lights are all darkened.

"They… they had to have made it, right?" Dipper says.

Dipper and Mabel open the gates of the mansion with their minds and pull in slowly, looking around for any sign of Stan and Bella. They see two figures waiting underneath the awning, sitting motionless and staring into space. As Dipper and Mabel move closer, they see the faces of their beloved children. Stan has splashes of blood on his face, almost as if he had used a paint brush to smear it all over him, while Bella's shirt is stained with blood. Dipper and Mable all but leap from the car, running over to Stan's and Bella's side. They look over their children, hoping that they haven't been hurt.

"Are you alright?" Dipper asks.

"We're fine." Bella replies coldly. Stan tilts his head, almost like a curious dog wondering why Dipper would be afraid.

"You… you didn't get hurt?" Mabel replies.

"No… one cop found us hiding after we left the police station. He pointed his gun at us, so we attacked him… we stabbed him in the stomach."

Dipper smiles, but the smile doesn't reach his ears. He realizes that the twins he risked so much to protect have been dragged onto the same ruinous path that he and Mabel walk. Worse still, he feels genuine fear for their lack of empathy. They seem unable to understand what they've done. They've taken a life, and yet they feel nothing.

" _Damn it, they're our kids. They're not monsters… they should feel, though. How can they just sit there like nothing's wrong?... because it's the way we raised them. The way you, and I, and Mabel brought them up. Nothing matters outside of who we care for… they shouldn't have to go through this. No child should have to fight this way."_

Dipper brings Stan into a hug, holding him tightly.

"I was worried, Stan… I am worried."

"Why?" Stan asks all too innocently.

"Because… no one should have to walk the path I do. The path your mother and I chose. No one should have to take a life."

"… We know… but we know that you won't always be able to help. So we have to fight too."

Dipper shivers slightly as his worries settle within, his inner demon returning to its watchful silence.

"I think… we all need a nap. Right, bro?" Mabel says.

"Yeah… we need to try and get some sleep. We'll deal with Pacifica tomorrow… and our parents."

"They're coming here… what the hell will they think? How are we going to explain this to the cops?... how the hell are we going to survive this, Dipper?"

"Dad… will we have to leave?" Stan asks.

"No. We aren't leaving. We aren't running. No one is going to harm us."

Dipper holds his children close. He kisses their foreheads, trying to lessen their fears. The twins wait with their children as the hours pass, too scared of the approaching doom to sleep. Eventually, Bella and Stan pass out from exhaustion. Dipper and Mabel wait for Pacifica to show up in the middle of the night, but she doesn't come. More police show up at the mansion, asking questions and trying to figure out what happened in the massacre.

"So, explain what you were doing during the incident, please?"

"Yes. My sister and I were here with her kids. We heard the shots but thought it was firecrackers. The kids can be very mischievous at times, so I figured it was them."

"Can you place your whereabouts at the time of the incident?"

"We were here. Why do you ask?"

"Witnesses claimed to see someone with bright green eyes fleeing the scene of the incident. Someone else mentioned they looked like one of the Northwest twins."

"Well, that doesn't make any sense."

"If you could provide us with some proof of your whereabouts that would be helpful."

"I have security footage of last night. Don't know what you'll expect to find, though."

Dipper politely takes the police into the mansion. He reveals the security footage of the night before and, to the surprise of the police, it shows no police arriving and no one entering or leaving the mansion. One of the cops scratches his head, befuddled by the lack of evidence.

"See? We were just practicing for our next show and teaching Stan and Bella some of the magic tricks. Now, if you would please, I'm not one for company. It raises the nerves."

"And yet you make magic shows?"

"Yes. When you're on stage, you're in command… you have the audience captivated. Normal conversation… never was my strong suit."

"Well… okay."

Dipper escorts the police back to the mansion's entrance. He waves them off, but one officer lingers behind.

"Well, if you hear anything, give us a call. We're setting up across from the police station. No one really wants to get close on account of the… well, let's just say there's a lot of blood and no idea who it's from."

"Keep me informed. If it's terrorism or a serial killer, I don't want my kids walking by themselves in the town, or near the entrance when a show is coming. I don't want them in the crossfire if there's ever… an attack here."

"Right, will do, Mr. Northwest."

Dipper walks back into his mansion, shutting the doors behind him. For now, the twins have escaped detection. But the matter remains of Laura and George, as well as the last police officer, the only other survivors of the massacre. Dipper and Mabel drive over to the hospital. The chaos at the hospital is nearly worse than the battle itself. News helicopters circle overhead, observing the aftermath of the murders. At least twenty different reporters wait outside the small-town hospital, desperate to be the first to get an exclusive with the survivors or to speculate inanely and endlessly about the cause of the attack before their attention is diverted by the next terrifying slaughter.

Dipper and Mabel extend their dark will outward, using their amulets to sabotage every camera, phone, and radio outside the hospital. Dipper and Mabel walk unnoticed past the reporters who are distracted by their malfunctioning equipment and head inside. They pass several police officers chatting in the hallway, who are stationed to prevent any of the reporters from barging in. Dipper and Mabel simply walk past them, knowing that the officers' attention is weakened by exhaustion. Dipper and Mabel continue down the irritatingly bright hallways, illuminated by buzzing, old florescent bulbs.

"They really should get more funding, sister."

"Right you are, Xander."

Dipper and Mabel walk down the hall, looking into each room for Laura and George. The twins spot the last remaining officer, hooked up to an I.V., a feeding tube, and an oxygen mask. The man's mind is nearly gone, unaware of his current condition. Dipper and Mabel walk into the room, guarded by a sleeping police officer, too tired to stay alert.

The twins make eye contact with the injured officer. He recognizes them and attempts to yell, but the bandages around his nearly severed jaw make him unable to speak. The twins begin to speak as one.

"So, you survived. The bloodbath wasn't supposed to happen, you know? We were going to erase your memories. But now we can't because you destroyed the book, the source of our power. Now _you_ will have to live with what happened. No one else will ever know. The world beyond yours will know something… unnatural occurred here. But nothing that warrants their undivided attention. So this is what you're going to tell the police. There was a suspected kidnapping victim, but your presence scared several terrorists into striking, believing their operation was uncovered… blame the Sons of the West, or some sovereign citizen group. I hear they're pretty popular nowadays. And then leave. Leave this town for the rest of your life. This is your only warning. If you're foolish enough to return after today, then you will die like the rest."

The cop nods rapidly, eyes wide with fear and not willing to risk his life a second time. With their threat made clear, the twins leave the ailing cop in his bed. Dipper and Mabel walk past the sleeping officer outside to the rooms with their friends. Laura sits in an old, slightly dusty chair next to the hospital bed, sleeping as she rests on the side. George is too busy watching the television, trying to distract himself from the horrors he's just seen. Dipper and Mabel walk in and make their presence known. They allow the mask of the demonic, otherworldly monsters to fade. Instead, they appear tired. Tired of the insanity that governs their lives.

"George." Dipper says.

"Oh… oh God."

"Stop… we're not here to finish the job, if that's what you're thinking."

"What... what the hell did you do?"

"Those fools shot the gem on the book. A thousand years of blood magic doesn't evaporate quietly, or blow away like dust in the wind… I was going to remove your memories of that night. Make sure no one had to die… but those damn idiots forced my hand."

"You… you killed Chad… and Sofia…"

"Don't you dare! You think I'm a monster? For trying to live a life away from the world that judges my sister and I?"

George stutters in confusion. Dipper seems to be from an entirely different reality, not comprehending any of his actions.

"You're… you're insane." George mutters. Dipper lets out a quick laugh while rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I'll give you that… when they ask what happened, you're going to say you were attacked by random gun nuts. The media will blame it on the Sons of the West, probably."

"You think you can get away with this? They'll figure it out, Dipper… they'll take you down."

"They can try. But they won't do anything without any proof. And you won't say a thing about us. I know you'll come to your senses… because if you don't, my sister and I will not be as gentle to the next swarm of cannon fodder that comes our way."

Dipper gives a small bow, feigning politeness despite his hateful demonic nature. Mabel stands up and motions for her brother.

"Aren't you going to speak to Laura?" Dipper asks his sister.

"No. George will tell her what they need to do."

Dipper nods and begins following his sister out, reaching out to grasp her hand. Whatever happens, they know they will remain together. The twins make their way out of the hospital, making sure to disable the cameras a second time.

"I wonder what they think of their equipment malfunctioning." Mabel says.

"They'll probably blame it on ghosts." Dipper replies with a smirk. The twins return to their mansion, hoping that their parents will simply leave and they'll never have to face them. Soon, Bella and Stan awaken. Dipper and Mabel wait in the living room. Their children sit before them, looking out of the window. Stan and Bella stay within their own thoughts, only speaking when their parents attempt to goad a reaction out of them.

"What are you kids thinking about?" Dipper asks.

"Do you think your mom and dad will come?" Bella says.

"Scared?"

"A little."

"Same. Especially with the whole 'we just killed ten people' thing going on. Or is it eleven?"

Dipper laughs to himself while Mabel rolls her eyes. Stan and Bella return to their thoughts while Dipper and Mabel wait near the entrance for Pacifica or their parents. But Pacifica never arrives, apparently having been too frightened or sickened by the twins' madness to come back for her car. As the twins begin to get ready for bed, a lone car pulls up to the mansion, driving around the empty lot before parking near the entrance. A frail, tired woman steps out of the car. She has a hunch in her back, and her hair is greying slightly. A bald, heavyset man steps out with the weight of the years on his face. The twins' parents have returned.

"Fifteen years… they look older." Mabel says.

"A little bit."

The twins' parents walk around the outside of the manor.

"I checked with that police lady. She said there was no reply from Eddy after he spoke to us. And now… now he's dead… do you think… _they_ have anything to do with what happened?" the twins' mother says.

"I… I don't know… maybe Eddy was wrong. He was yammering about his son, about the gun… I think he might have been losing it. I just don't know."

Mabel's heart breaks at the sight of her mother and father. The memories of the twins' old life come rushing back. A life before everything spiraled out of control and chaos claimed their lives. Before they threw away any chance of salvation, or acceptance from the outside world and became the reclusive Northwest twins.

"We… we can't, sister…"

"I know… but… look at them."

"They… they were wrong… they'll reveal us to the world."

"I… _will_ they? After all we've been through?..."

"I… maybe they won't… damn it, sister. They'll reveal us… shut up, _me_. You paranoid demon brain…"

Dipper begins to think, trying to figure out the best course of action, developing plans and backup plans in case everything goes wrong. And then he's ripped from his deeper thoughts by several loud knocks on the large doors of the mansion. Dipper and Mabel meet each other's eyes, and then look back towards their parents. Dipper and Mabel walk down from the balcony to the front doors. Mabel listens in on her parents.

"I don't think anyone's home." the twins' father says.

"How can no one be in here? It's a mansion. They've got to have servants."

"I read the online reviews. No one but the Northwest twins… weird."

Mabel grabs the doorknob, but doesn't open it. She instead answers her parents from behind the closed door, not wishing to meet with them after so long.

"The show isn't until later, although we might cancel the next few because of what happened last night."

"I… is this… Mabella Northwest?"

"Yes, and I'm busy at the moment."

"I… do you have any idea about what happened?"

"No… don't know what was going on, we were just practicing for our show… although a cop showed up and asked us about old Stanford Pines' relatives. Thought we might have been them, which is silly… then he left. That's when we heard the gunshots and explosion."

"Um… okay. Just… sorry for bothering you."

Mabel watches from the keyhole as her mother turns away, defeated and tired of having her hopes raised and then crushed. In those sunken eyes, Mabel can tell that this wasn't the first time they've lost all hope, nor the second, or the third. Mabel feels a hand tug on her skirt and turns around, seeing the eyes of Stan and Bella looking into hers. Mabel falls to her knees and drags them into a hug, beginning to tear up as the old wounds are opened anew. And Dipper stares into space, focused entirely on what to do.

" _Damn it… why is this so hard? We know they'll be a liability in the future, they may even talk with George and Laura and figure out what happened last night… but they've been through so much. Would it be worse to let them know how much we've changed? Or should we just let them assume we died?... Choices, choices. Too many choices, too many decisions, too many variables… we're going to regret this, aren't we?... Probably. At least you can say I told you so, heh."_

Dipper opens the door slowly, waiting for his sister to order him to stop. But she doesn't, she just watches, waiting for the moment they'll meet with the people they ran from. The people they loved, still love. The parents that cared for them. That did everything they could for them. The ones they ran from, rather than allow their unusual bond to be severed.

"Wait, brother."

Dipper listens to Mabel, waiting as the parents return to their car and prepare to drive away.

"You… should go start on dinner."

Dipper crooks his eyebrow at Mabel's statement.

"Because if you're the first one they see, they'll think I'm just your… slave, or something."

"Yes… good point. And we shouldn't wear our amulets either."

Dipper and Mabel remove their amulets, allowing their natural brown eyes to return. Stan and Bella begin to remove theirs as well.

"You two should keep them… because I don't know how they'll react to… _me_ being your father."

Stan and Bella nod, understanding Dipper's worries. Dipper walks away as Mabel pushes the door open all the way. Her parents don't notice at first, looking at each other and gesturing, having a conversation that Mabel can't hear but knows is about their irritation at the dead end. Mabel's mother places her face in her hand, shuttering at the depths of sadness while the twins' dad looks up. He meets Mabel's eyes. And he freezes in place, not knowing how to respond. He's like a deer caught in the headlights. And then, almost like a little kid who's seen something he can't explain, he points with a dumbfounded expression. Mabel's mother notices next. Mabel can see the exact moment her mother fully comprehends what she's seeing, lifting her hands up to her face as the tears begin to pour like a torrent. The twins' parents stumble out of the car in a dash to meet with Mabel. They barely take notice of the younger twins as they run forward, almost leaping at Mabel like joyous puppies.

"Oh God!"

Mabel's mother mumbles sad, strained words. Mabel can barely make out anything her mother is saying.

"We… wethougtwelost… and then Eddy… oh god!" her mother sobs.

Mabel raises her arms and rests them on her mother's back, attempting to bring some semblance of comfort and normality in this unlikely meeting.

"Let's go inside… Dipper's preparing supper."

Mabel escorts her parents to the private living quarters of the twins. The enormity of the space they live in astounds the twins' parents.

"How… how the heck can you afford this thing?" the twins' father asks.

"We rented it from a friend. Although we're probably going to move someplace else. Too many bad things happening in this town. Too many memories."

"And… kids… you have kids?"

"Yeah… it's complicated."

"I… just, who's the father?"

"This guy I once knew from here…"

Mabel attempts to think of a name to give her parents, knowing that they may already suspect the truth of the younger twins' heritage.

"Mermando. Silly name, ain't it?"

"Did you… did he… how?"

"… Dipper and I didn't think we'd make it. We… broke it off for a while. We kept the show going, but we weren't together. Then Mermando came back. I was enjoying the time with him. Almost thought it would work out… then I got pregnant, and he ditched me."

Mabel takes her parents into the large dining room. They can barely believe the sight of the room. A table longer than a bus sits in the center of the large room with enough space for some forty-odd guests. A chandelier the size of a bed hangs overhead, sparkling like diamonds as it illuminates the room. Mabel sits down near the end of the large table. Five empty plates with a set of jewel-encrusted silverware lie upon the table. Looking closer, the twins' father notices the thick coating of dust on most of the antiques and furniture. Before he can comment on the disheveled and unclean room, Dipper walks through the large doors on the side. He carries himself with an arrogant stride, hiding the fear he feels for letting his parents back into his life. Dipper sits down by Mabel, across from their parents. The table provides enough of a divide to let Dipper and Mabel keep a comfortable distance. Dipper no longer wears his eye patch, and his birthmark is clear for all to see. Even stranger, the left side of his body is covered entirely in burn marks, branching out like tree branches in increasingly detailed patterns.

"What are you making, bro?"

"Frozen pizza. Something fast."

"Your… your skin. What the hell happened?" the twins' mother asks.

"Oh, this… had a bad accident with one of the stage lights… almost died."

"I… how? All this time, you were here?" the twins' mother says. She rubs her head, annoyed but too tired to feel angry.

"Yeah… we started working at the Shack, actually. Helped out Stan for a bit, then when he passed we took over for a bit."

"Stan… Stan knew?!" the twins' father shouts.

"Yes." Dipper replies.

"He… he talked to us… he knew… and he still hid!"

"He did what he thought was best. The cops knew, right? If they were dragged in, me or Mabel would be thrown in jail. We'd lose everything."

"I… how could you just hide away?... do you know what we've been through?" Dipper's and Mabel's mother says.

"Yes… yes, we know." Mabel replies.

"Just… why couldn't you say _some_ thing? Tell us _any_ thing?"

"Because we didn't want to." Mabel snaps. Her words are harsh, causing a deep silence to take over the room. Mabel's body tenses up. And then every feeling of hurt begins to pour out.

"We… we heard what you said… you'd never let us be together… and it was too much to think about… too much to focus on that…"

The twins' parents are brought to tears again. Mabel and Dipper both begin to cry as well, wondering if this meeting should never have happened. But seeing the depressed and tired faces of their parents, Dipper and Mabel decide to press forward.

"It just… hurt too much." Mabel says.

"I… it did." her mother replies quietly. Stan and Bella look at each other for several seconds, and then turn back to their grandparents, deciding on a way to try and bring their family together.

"What was Piedmont like?" Stan asks. Stan's grandmother looks over at him, and then down at the table, thinking back on the days when everything seemed happier and easier. With no worries, no painful nights spent wondering if her children were still alive, wondering where they went wrong as parents that their kids would end up together as lovers, not siblings.

"Just… nice… peaceful. Quiet. We… your grandfather and I got together in the nineties. Started dating when he was just a temp at Apple. I was studying to be a nurse. We met at a bar after work… things started from there."

"Was it nice?" Bella asks.

"Yeah… rough at first, trying to balance life with work. But we made it, and after a couple of years, we had your mom and uncle. We… we raised them the best we could. Before… before…"

The twins' mother begins to cry again, revealing the burden the twins placed on her when they fled, and the lingering thoughts of their failure to raise the twins.

"You didn't screw anything up." Dipper says. His mother turns to him, looking at him with her saddened eyes.

"You were good parents… we were just… different."

"… Your nephew and niece… you never… did anything?"

With those words, Mabel and Dipper grow angry. The two glare back at their mother, knowing exactly what she meant. If their strange and unusual bond caused them to drag their kids into their sexual nature.

"Don't you dare… don't you fucking dare." Dipper says, his words filled with hatred for what his parents assumed of him and his sister.

"You… you think… just, fuck…" Mabel moans, smacking her head on the table. The plates clatter slightly from the impact while Stan and Bella turn to face their grandmother.

"Our Mom and Uncle wouldn't hurt us." Stan and Bella say together. A second later they realize they've revealed their shared thoughts.

"What… what?" Dipper's and Mabel's father replies.

"I… weird." Stan replies, laughing slightly in an attempt to appear normal. The sudden fading of his expression reveals that there's something else the younger twins are hiding. Something otherworldly in their cold, greenish blue eyes.

"Well… anyways, I'm going to go check on the food…" Mabel says. She moves back abruptly from the table and walks away, leaving the tense situation to clear her head. Dipper sits with his parents now, wondering what he'll do if this meeting falls apart.

" _I can't erase their memories. Unless I get McGucket's old memory gun working again… this was a bad idea… well, now you can say 'I told you so'… heh. Funny human. Well, if all else fails, maybe we'll just keep them locked away somewhere… but that isn't right either. They're our parents… they're_ your _parents, I don't have any, unless you count Bill. Which would make you the mother, wouldn't it? Heh."_

Dipper shudders at the thought of being involved with Bill Cipher, and then giggles slightly at the idea all the same. Dipper opens his eyes and looks at his parents, who have been watching his odd expressions.

"Sorry, remembered a funny joke."

"What joke?" his mother asks, shifting in her seat, feeling uneasy at her son's behavior.

"Just… this gag Stan once told me… it's not appropriate, anyways."

"And your nephew knowing you and your sister being together is?" the twins' father says. Dipper chuckles slightly, placing his open palms flat on the table, attempting to calm the irritation he feels.

"Yes… there are stranger things out there, dad. Two weirdo siblings being in love is the least of the world's insanity."

"Just… nothing makes sense… and… did you meet Eddy last night? He knew you were here."

Dipper becomes quiet, knowing that his parents suspect he has a part to play in the violence that happened last night.

"We saw him at the show, but he never tried to find us. I think he and his cop buddies were planning on coming up here when everything went to shit on them."

"You're lying… you've got that look in your eye." Dipper's mother says.

"That same look you always had… when you lied… what did you do?"

"Nothing… I wasn't there when everything happened." Dipper says. His mother relents for the moment, seeing the truth in his expression.

" _I didn't harm anyone… but_ I _did!"_

Dipper takes a deep breath and exhales, watching as Mabel returns from the kitchen.

"Pizza will take about another ten minutes." Mabel says.

"So… you've all, just… been doing magic shows all this time?" her father asks.

"Basically. We invest in stocks to keep this place going. Well, Dipper does. I've never cared much about math things."

"Some things never change. Right, sister?"

Mabel smiles as she turns to Dipper. The twins' parents can see the joy in their children's eyes. The warmth of two who care for each other more than anything.

"You… really are staying together." the twins' mother whispers, holding herself in a hug to try and settle the torrent of tears she's ready to release.

"Yes… we are." Mabel vows. The twins' parents know their children will never be separated. Now all they must do is find out how to move forward.

"Just… now what?" the twins' father says.

"We… we have a show coming up… maybe you'd want to stay and watch."

"I… I don't… fuck…"

"Language."

"Ah, who cares?" Dipper says.

"I'm not particular to dirty words, brother."

"Funny how you became the responsible one, sister."

"Heaven knows you wouldn't, you silly devil."

"What can I say? I'm a child at heart."

Dipper chuckles while stretching, standing up and walking around for a bit. Mabel turns back to her parents, trying to find a way to repair the seemingly infinite gap that separates them.

"So… Dad, what have you two been doing?"

"I… we… just living our lives. Apart… got a divorce… only reason we came together was Eddy had our numbers… now… now he's dead… oh shit… why couldn't… you just left!"

Stan and Bella move away, taken aback by their grandfather's sudden outburst. Then the old man slumps back to his seat.

"You would have separated us." Mabel says.

"Why couldn't… god damn it, why couldn't you two be normal?"

The twins' father now finds himself breaking down in tears. Mabel herself has begun to cry, and Dipper, both sides of his mind, feels a well of pain in his heart. He ignores the irritating feeling, trying to focus on other tasks. Like what he will need to do if his parents begin asking too many questions.

" _I'll get the memory gun working again. Yes, that will help. We'll just leave them back at the hotel… or back home, wondering what happened. Figure out where they both live now… Yes, that could work."_

"Dipper?"

Dipper is torn from his thoughts by the sound of his father's voice.

"… When you left… Mabel had a gun… where did you get that gun?"

"… It was for self-defense."

"That's not what I asked… where the hell did that gun come from?"

"I bought it."

"Dipper… did you kill Eddy's boy?"

The question Dipper knew was coming, the one that he needs to explain, and the one that has no good lies to allow him to escape revealing the truth.

"I didn't… he was a friend. I'd never hurt him."

"… Did he find out? About you and Mabel?"

"No… no, he didn't."

"Dad, stop it!" Mabel shouts. She stands and slams her hands on the table, angry at her father's prying mind. He stands in turn, pointing at his son.

"You think you can… you think we're stupid?!"

"Dipper didn't hurt anyone! No one found out except you two… so just stop. Stop being… angry."

The twins' father chuckles slightly before collapsing back into his chair.

"Angry?... I had a long time to be angry… I just want to know what the hell you're hiding…"

"The truth… is complicated." Dipper responds. He looks over at his two children. And he smiles at them, feeling the endless love for them shine through. And his look of sheer joy is seen by his parents.

"Are you… you're the father… shit." the twins' mother says. She knows the twins' are known for their deep green eyes, she knows Eddy mentioned the twins' wearing contact lenses, and now she knows that the younger twins have the same color eyes. She grabs her stomach, almost ready to vomit.

"You… what did you do to her?" the twins' father says. Mabel turns to him, anger flaring in her eyes.

"I'm not an idiot, so stop treating me like one. We made our life the way we wanted it… the only reason we're meeting like this… I want to have something between us."

"You… you had kids!"

Dipper contorts slightly, battling his demon mind for control.

"This time… _I'm_ in control." Dipper says. The human side of Dipper suppresses his darker self, thinking of a plan that does not require force, or fear, simply a lie.

"No, what the hell! How?! How could you?... just… you know what happens, right?" the twins' father shouts.

Dipper retrieves his amulet and presents it to his parents.

"This… this is what will answer your questions…"

Dipper places the amulet on his finger and closes his left eye. Mabel follows suit, preparing to show their parents exactly what they are. A desperate gamble on Dipper's part, but one he hopes will ease his parents' suffering, as well as their questions.

"You think we didn't know the risks?... we knew them. We knew them better than most, because they were so large… it wasn't planned. We were going to… not have them." Mabel says, opening her eyes to reveal their unnaturally colored aura.

"And then… I thought of something." Dipper says as he opens his right eye, his human eye. His parents stand up and begin to move away. Something they never could comprehend begins to happen. The chairs and silverware begin floating in the air, surrounded by a sickly green aura, the same aura around the twins' eyes.

"My sister and I were tired. Tired of fighting and winning nothing. No victory in life, no great happiness… then a thought occurred to me."

"What the hell are you? You aren't Dipper!" his mother shouts.

"I am!... I am Dipper Pines! Xander Northwest! You wanted the truth?! This is it!"

Dipper opens his other eye, and his father screams in terror at the demonic yellow aura.

"This… is my other."

Dipper's angry snarl becomes a psychotic smile. He steps on a chair, then steps onto the table and walks over while his parents attempt to flee. The doors to the mansion slam shut, and his parents are kept in place by Dipper's power. And then, rather than harm them, or laugh psychotically, Dipper shakes his father's hand. Then he shakes his mother's hand.

"Hi, name's… well, never had one. But I'm still Dipper… sort of… kind of… not really… it's tough to explain."

"What the hell are you?!" his mother shouts. Dipper rolls his eyes and places a finger on her lips, using his power to silence his parents' screams.

"Language, missy. My kids are only ten… anyways, I was born… well, created is a better word. I was created… oh, say, about twenty-one years ago. Long story short, that big meteor that hit this town a while back? It wasn't a meteor. More of a giant, floating, psycho pyramid monster. Tried to kill Dipper… tried to murder him. But the attack didn't work… instead, it made me. Shattered his mind in two… now, I exist. And if I didn't, Stan and Bella never would have lived. They would have been… deformed. But I changed them… I walked by them every second of their conception, every moment I spent removing defects, guiding their genetic history, preventing their corruption before they were even born… they _are_ perfect. And I made sure of that. And as for Eddy… I didn't kill them… I wanted to, I _really_ wanted to. But I didn't… because I care too much about Mabel, about my children. I was going to save them… but they did something incredibly foolish. They destroyed a certain book. A book of spells… and when it broke, something came out of it. Something that should not exist. And it butchered them… would have killed the whole town if I didn't put it down."

Dipper takes his parents back to the table and forces them back in their seats, growing steadily angrier as he speaks.

"So now that introductions and personal history are out of the way, why don't you sit down, shut up, and have some pizza!"

Dipper goes silent. And he stumbles over, shivering in pain as tears begin to pour.

"I… I'm sorry… it… it does that sometimes."

Dipper half-crawls over to the table, lifting himself up and standing. His parents can see it in his eyes. Unrelenting sorrow, knowing that he battles a literal inner demon every day.

"I… I'm still Dipper Pines… but something else is in here… and killing it would kill me too…"

Mabel runs over to her brother's side. She drags him closer, holding him tightly as he weeps. She looks back to her parents, now simply dumbfounded and utterly unable to react, save for watching.

"Don't you see?... I… Dipper didn't kill Gary… Gary found out and wanted to kill Dipper. He wanted… I couldn't let him… I couldn't let Dipper die… we tried to save them… but they messed it all up…"

Dipper looks up at his parents with his green eye, and for the first time since they arrived, they can see the pain Dipper buries deep down. The pain he denies when he doesn't dare look back on his life, knowing that he'll find the corpses of those he's killed and their mourning families.

"You… you killed Gary?" the twins' mother says, gasping in shock at her daughter's confession. Mabel nods as she cries.

"He… pointed a gun at Dipper. We tried to tell him. Tried to explain what happened… but he wouldn't listen… Eddy didn't listen… we tried to erase their memories, so they wouldn't come back. But they destroyed the book and released that demon."

Mabel and Dipper have revealed as much of the truth as they need to. While the twins' father begins to back away, their mother, filled with sadness and fear, walks forward. She kneels down by her family and does the only thing she can think of, bringing Dipper into an embrace that lasts for an eternity.

"It's okay, Dipper… it'll be alright."

"I… it hurts…"

Stan and Bella walk over to their father and hold him tight.

"It's alright, Dad."

The family loses track of time. They ignore all thoughts of the future. They simply accept each other in this moment of silence, soon joined by the twins' father. But soon, the reality of their situation returns. They can no longer ignore the strangeness of their world. Dipper's mother and father are no longer blind to the supernatural, or to the full extent of their children's love. Mabel goes to retrieve the food while Dipper sits at the table across from his parents.

"Just… I always believed in God… but I never thought… never thought much about meeting something… like it." Dipper's father says.

"Same… but encountering a dimension-hopping demon lord changes one's opinion."

"How… you can't stay here… with that thing in you… it's dangerous."

"Only when it's backed into a corner… truth is, I think the safest thing would be to simply move on. The government will come in and blame everything on terrorists, they'll make everyone who knows what really happened stay quiet. They'll watch me and Mabel for a while… but that should be it. If I turn myself in, I don't know what my other side would do to escape."

"You… did you try and get rid of it?"

"I did. Got a priest to try an exorcism when I was fifteen… but it isn't a demon. It's… me, sort of. Like an old Jekyll and Hyde thing. Tried again with some supernatural brain specialist Stanford used to know. He said he couldn't remove it without making me a vegetable… so I'm stuck with it."

Dipper cuts the pizza and begins handing out the slices. Perfectly normal actions amidst chaos. His mother can't help but laugh at the insanity of it all.

"Just like old times, right?" she says, laughing through tears at the situation she's fallen into. But no one has any appetite for the food, save for Stan and Bella. Dipper picks at his pizza but doesn't try it. Mabel nibbles on a few bits before setting it aside. Then the twins' father pushes his plate aside, settling into his seat while staring into space.

"So… will you two stay the night?" Dipper asks.

"… I don't think so… we only came because… we thought… this isn't what I thought was going to happen." the twins' mother says.

"Same… it… but I think it can work."

"Just… your kids… they'll need… you can't keep them locked up in this mansion."

"We don't. They've gone to school before. They've had friends."

"We like being alone." Stan says, speaking for his sister's mind as well as his own.

"Just… this isn't a life you can keep going." the twins' mother replies.

"We used to think that way… used to think it would all fall apart… but it didn't. We fought so much… and we made it." Mabel says, staring at her now room temperature pizza.

"You… you're dragging your kids into this… they need a life of their own, you know? They're just following you."

Dipper and Mabel become tense, knowing that their mother speaks the truth. And yet, they're reluctant, knowing that their kids will be as desperate and dangerous as Dipper and Mabel if anyone tries to pull them apart. And they wonder if they would always have been that way, or if they learned it from their parents.

"My brother and I are staying. I know you think it's a bad idea, but we are. We'll figure it out as we go."

"You… forget it."

The conversation drops, and the family returns to silent thinking. As the minutes pass, conversations begin and fail, neither the twins nor their parents willing to let up in their beliefs on what is right. All four are too tired and exhausted to become angry at the day's end. And yet, Dipper and Mabel feel a twinge of happiness, knowing that their parents want to help create something again. That across the infinite gap separating them, they'll both try to rebuild the bridges. At the end of the day, Dipper's and Mabel's parents begin to leave. The twins' mother crouches to hug her grandchildren, beginning to accept them for who they are, not for what she wants them to be.

"You two… make sure you make friends…"

"We will." Bella says, smiling brightly, if only to attempt to appear more human for her grandparents.

"And you two… I don't think I'll ever get you to… stop… but make sure you keep that… devil under control… I'll try to find something to help."

"Thank you." Dipper says even though he has accepted his demon long ago.

"I just… never thought life would be this way."

"Neither did we. It just… happened." Mabel says, beginning to cry again. Dipper and his mother both come to tears, knowing that a lot still needs to be done to rebuild their destroyed family. But now, both sides are willing to try and make their family work again. Dipper and Mabel wave as their parents drive away, headed for an uncertain yet hopeful future.

"So, brother, good lying skills you have there."

"I didn't lie. I told the truth. The other guy, on the other hand, lied through his teeth."

Mabel chuckles slightly, exhausted from the day.

"Hopefully they don't figure out the truth, bro."

"I'm still planning on fixing McGucket's memory gun just in case, or for anyone else who comes after us."

"I hope we never have to use it."

"Me too."

Dipper, Mabel, and their children return to their mansion for the night. Dipper and Mabel tuck Bella and Stan into bed before heading off for the master bedroom. They collapse onto the bed, too tired to change their clothes.

"We… we made it, Dip."

"Yes… we did… we really did."

"Fuck."

"Language."

Mabel laughs at Dipper and rolls to face him, smiling happily into his eyes.

"Do you think… we should make Stan and Bella get other friends?"

"Yeah… at least until they're old enough to truly decide."

"… Funny, I think I decided long ago who my hubby would be."

"Same. Although I did get distracted for a bit during our first summer here."

"Yeah. Who could resist, though?" Mabel says, rolling over and curling into Dipper's side. He takes a breath of Mabel's air, her presence, immersing himself in this moment with her.

"I love you, Dipper. Whatever happens, I love you."

"I love you too, Mabel. My sister… my love."

The twins begin to fall asleep in each other's embrace. The stars shine overhead, lighting the hope for the future. Their family has begun to repair the damage done all those years ago. Stan and Bella have grown strong, strong enough to defend themselves from whatever threat may come, supernatural or mundane. And with their parents' help, the safety of the young twins is secured. Whatever may happen, Dipper and Mabel know that they will always be together.


End file.
